the numbers the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits in the first week of september fell to a 3 12month low of 222000 a sign layoffs are still near a record low even as the us economy softens new jobless claims declined by 6000 in the seven days ended sept 3 from a revised 228000 initially 232000 in the prior week the number of people applying for jobless benefits is one of the best barometers of whether the economy is getting better or worse new unemployment filings had fallen to as low as 166000 in late march the secondfewest on record before turning higher over the summer they recently topped out at 261000 before edging lower again economists polled by the wall street journal had forecast new claims to total 235000 in the first week of september the figures are seasonally adjusted market reaction the dow jones industrial average djia and sp 500 spx were set to open slightly higher in thursday trades