Strategy

Washington, D.C. -- Fewer Americans filed claims for unemployment insurance payments over the past month, indicating some positive movement in the job market.

According to the latest labor department figures, the number of applications for jobless benefits averaged 431,000 a week over the month ended Nov. 27, the lowest level since August 2008. Claims increased by 26,000 last week, more than forecast, to 436,000, after reaching a two-year low.

Chain Store Age recently conducted a survey of leading grocery executives to find out how the industry perceives analytics and how they are using analytics models in key operational areas such as forecasting, price optimization, space planning, and customer marketing.