The number of weekly jobless filings—a proxy for layoffs—dropped by 8,000 from the prior week to below pre-pandemic levels, delivering a fresh sign of continued tightening in the U.S. jobs market. First-time filings for unemployment insurance fell to 198,000 for the week ending Dec. 25, the Labor Department said in a report (pdf). The four-week moving average of initial claims, which smooths out seasonal fluctuations and is often seen by analysts as a better indicator of broader labor market trends, fell to 199,250, the lowest level in 52 years. Prior to the pandemic, initial claims were running at around the 210,000 per week mark, similar to the four-week moving average. Earlier this month, first-time filings fell to their lowest level since 1969. Thursday’s jobless filings figures suggest that the recent rise in COVID-19 infections was not driving a fresh wave of layoffs. The average number of daily COVID-19 cases in the United States …