* Jobless claims hit four-month low in latest week
* September trade gap narrows more than expected
* Import prices jump to highest since April
* U.S. imports from China remain near record
By Doug Palmer
WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) – Initial claims for U.S.
jobless benefits hit a four-month low last week, while the
trade gap narrowed more than expected in September, hopeful
signs for an economy that has been stuck in a slow-growth rut.
The number of workers filing initial claims for
unemployment benefits fell to a seasonally adjusted 435,000 in
the week to Nov. 6 from a revised 459,000 for the prior week,
the Labor Department said on Wednesday.
The bigger-than-expected dropped was underscored by the
four-week moving average of claims which fell to its lowest
since just before Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy in
September 2008 in the depths of the financial crisis.
Meanwhile, a separate Commerce Department report showed the
U.S. trade deficit narrowed more than expected in September,
despite near record imports from China, as a weak U.S. dollar
helped American exports grow for the third consecutive month.
A narrower deficit is positive for U.S. economic growth
since it suggests more demand is being met by U.S. production.