Unemployment claims drop below 11,000 in March; lowest since 05

Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell to 10,924 in March, the lowest monthly number since 2005.

That’s down from a high of 36,414 initial claims in December 2008.

Economist Bill Anderson of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation said that brings the 12-month average for new benefit claims to 12,343, the lowest since mid-2007.

An initial claim is the first step in filing for unemployment benefits and reflects the number of people who have recently lost a job. Initial claims tend to increase seasonally during the fall and winter months, falling to lower levels in the spring and summer.