Despite upbeat U.S. and European labor reports, lingering concerns over U.S. economic momentum throttled crude oil prices in early Thursday trading. Data from the U.S. Labor Department showed seasonally adjusted first-time claims for unemployment dipped 16,000 from the previous week to 269,000 for the week ending Feb. 6. The less volatile four-week moving average declined 3,500 to 281,250. Labor is one of the lingering bright spots for a U.S. economy that showed signs of slowing down. Inflation in the United States is below a federal target of 2 percent. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen continues two days of testimony on Capitol Hill, addressing lawmaker concerns about the pace of economy growth. She […]