Odaily Planet Daily News: Following last week's disappointing jobs report, the number of initial jobless claims in the United States last week fell by the largest amount in nearly a year, which may ease some concerns that the labor market is cooling too quickly. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday showed that initial claims fell by 17,000 to 233,000 in the week ending August 3. States that have seen a sharp increase in claims in recent weeks, such as Michigan, Missouri and Texas, saw a decrease in claims. The decline in initial claims may help reassure the market that the labor force is only returning to its pre-epidemic trend rather than deteriorating rapidly. Last week's weaker-than-expected non-farm report led to a global market sell-off and triggered calls for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates before its September meeting. Initial claims data fluctuate at this time of year due to summer vacations for schools and restructuring of auto factories. (Jinshi)