WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits rose 15,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 309,000. But the data was distorted for the second straight week by reporting delays. The Labor Department says the less volatile four-week ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week after reaching the lowest level in 5 ½ years. But the broader trend suggests companies are laying off fewer workers and could step up hiring in the ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dropped 15,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 320,000, the fewest since October 2007 — a sign of dwindling layoffs and steady if modest job growth. The Labor Department said Thursday ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid fell sharply last week as a temporary spike caused by Superstorm Sandy has faded. Weekly applications have fallen back to a level consistent with modest hiring. The Labor Department said ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid fell to a four-year low last week, bolstering the view that the job market is strengthening. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications dropped 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment aid neared a four-year low last week, a positive sign that strong hiring could continue in the coming months. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for unemployment benefits fell 15,000 ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose last week after three weeks of decline. Even with the gain, applications remained at a level consistent with modest hiring. And the broader trend over the past month suggests job ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week to its lowest level since April 2008, extending a downward trend that shows the job market strengthening. First-time applications for unemployment benefits fell 4,000 to a seasonally ...

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WASHINGTON — Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the job market may be improving slightly. Weekly applications fell 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 409,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the first ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose back above 400,000 last week. Still, the four-week average, a more reliable gauge of the job market, fell to the lowest level since mid-April. The report suggests that the ...

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