The number of U.S. jobless claims fell for the third consecutive week to consoli

The unexpected drop in the U.S. jobless claims last week showed a quick tightening of supplies in the job market and the prospect of a rate hike by the Federal Reserve (FED) next week.

On October 4, 2017, a job seeker at the Colorado Hospital Association's job fair held a conversation with a recruiter representative. REUTERS / Rick Wilking
Another data released on Thursday showed that the number of U.S. companies planning layoffs announced in November rose to a seven-month high, but the overall trend of retrenchment remained low.

"There is not a lot of downsizing, and as one of the longest-lasting cycles of economic expansion in the history, it is now very difficult to find qualified talent," said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at UFJ in New York.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported on Thursday that as of December 2, the number of initial claims fell by 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 236,000, the third consecutive weekly decline.