There was more good news for the U.S. economy this morning. Reports showed a fall in claims for jobless benefits and a climb in two broad indexes of economic health.

Initial jobless claims plunged 22,000 to 353,000 last week from a revised 375,000 in the prior week, the Labor Department said.

The unexpectedly steep drop brought claims back to the low they hit in early November. Economists had expected claims to slip to 365,000 from the 378,000 originally reported for the Dec. 6 week.

In a separate release, the U.S. Conference Board said that its index of leading indicators rose 0.3% in November to 114.2, after an upwardly revised 0.5% climb in October.

The November gain matched expectations on Wall Street.

The leading index, which foreshadows economic activity in the next three to six months, has increased at almost a 6% annual rate since its most recent low in April.

“The continued strong growth in the leading index … is signaling that strong economic growth should persist in the near term,” the Conference Board said.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Federal Reserve said its National Activity Index jumped in November to its highest level since March 2000, helped by improving industrial production.

The index rose to +0.55 in November from an upwardly revised +0.19 in October.

Much of the increase was from rising manufacturing output and upbeat reports from purchasing managers.

The only major category to decline was employment, since the 57,000 jobs increase in the November payrolls report came in below its long-term trend.