It was the lowest level for new claims since 316,000 in the week of Jan. 13, 2001.
Last year, Senator Collins introduced the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act (S. 1245), which would authorize a program to provide billions of dollars in assistance to state and local governments and first responders. The bill would give first responders and local officials a greater voice in determining how federal homeland dollars will be spent.
But some economists worry that structural changes in the job market, including technological advances and a growing appetite for cheap offshore labor, will keep hiring muted in 2004.

Beyond privacy issues, the airlines say there are questions about how the government plans to implement CAPPS II. May said that 70 percent of airline reservations now are made through third parties such as travel agents and computerized reservation systems.
U.S. stock prices fell despite the strength of the report. Treasury bond prices also fell, pushing yields higher.
The United States has enjoyed nine straight quarters of growth, including the strongest performance in 20 years in the third quarter of 2003, without significant job creation.
Each of the AU members has the same five-person representation in the 265-member assembly. MPs are picked from each state's national parliament. Thursday's session will have only 195 members since to date only 39 countries have ratified the protocol setting up the pan-African body.