Applications for jobless benefits dropped 5,000 to 366,000 in the week ended Feb. 2, Labor Department figures showed today.

Economists had forecast 360,000 claims, according to the median of 53 estimates in survey done for Bloomberg news.

Claims are settling at a level that signals there is little change in the pace of firings from last year, Bloomberg reported. The data come after a report last week indicated employers are boosting payrolls at a faster pace as demand holds up.