The number of applications forunemployment benefits unexpectedly dropped last week to the lowest level in three years, showing the U.S. labor market is healing.

Jobless claims dropped by 19,000 to 366,000 in the week ended Dec. 10, the fewest since May 2008, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 47 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News projected 390,000.  Read more