Dow Jones Industrial Average: Labor Department

Labor Department: KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average fell 80 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 16,496 as of 11:24 a.m. 1624 GMT . The Standard Poors 500 index dropped 10 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 1,837. The Nasdaq composite fell 26 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 4,150, according to 660 News. JOBS: The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits last week fell by 2,000, extending a recovery in the job market. The Labor Department reported Thursday that the four-week average of claims rose 8,500 to 357,250. The average was driven up by spikes that reflected seasonal volatility around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and NEW YORK, N.Y. The U.S. stock market got 2014 off to a weak start Thursday. Major indexes fell after ending last year at record levels. Trading has been quiet this week with many investors on vacation. TECH TROUBLES: Technology stocks fell the most. Analog Devices lost $1.50, or 2.9 per cent, to $49.43 after analysts at Goldman Sachs advised its clients to sell the stock, saying its overvalued compared to its peers. Apple fell $7.62, or 1.4 per cent, to $553.51, after Wells Fargo cut its outlook on the stock to market perform from outperform, saying the companys profit margins may come under pressure later this year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.