Economic Report: Jobless claims match 54-year low of 166,000 in another sign of sizzling U.S. labor market

The numbers: New filings for U.S. unemployment benefits fell to a 53-year low of 166,000 in mid-April during a period of remarkably strong hiring and the lowest layoffs on record.

Initial jobless claims declined by 5,000 from a revised 171,000 in the prior week,  the Labor Department said Thursday.

Economists polled by the Wall Street…