The Department of Labor has released figures today showing that a fewer number of people claimed for unemployment benefits in the US last week.

According to the governmental organization, the advance figure for seasonally-adjusted initial claims was 346,000, which equated to a 58,000 decrease on the previous week's unrevised rate.

Despite this report, the Associated Press (AP) claims that it will have no effect on the "weakness" in the nation's labor market.

The AP states that the department's figures do not propose America's economic health has taken a particularly positive turn for the better, which suggests there are still a high number of citizens who will struggle with debt in the coming months.

Jobs in the US have been cut for the six months consecutively and the official total number of job losses in 2008 is close to 450,000.

US consumers without employment, who face high gas and food costs, may need to consider debt management plans in the imminent future.

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