WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell 11,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, a level consistent with steady job growth. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications dropped from 357,000 the previous week, which was ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to a seasonally adjusted 339,000, the second-fewest in more than five years. The drop suggests that layoffs have declined and that job growth may pick up from last ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits increased just 4,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 352,000. The slight gain kept applications at a level consistent with solid hiring and suggests March’s sluggish hiring may be temporary. The ...

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WASHINGTON — The outlook for the U.S. job market is brightening after a government report showed a sharp drop in the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits. Weekly applications fell 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 341,000, the Labor Department ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid remained elevated for a second straight week because Superstorm Sandy forced many people to seek temporary benefits. The Labor Department said Wednesday that first-time applications for benefits fell by 41,000 ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose to a seasonally adjusted 367,000, a level consistent with only modest hiring. Weekly applications increased last week by 4,000 from the previous week’s level of 363,000, the Labor Department said ...

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WASHINGTON — A trio of reports Thursday offered a reminder that the U.S. economy is struggling to grow and add jobs. The number of people seeking unemployment benefits last week stayed near a level that signals only weak hiring in ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits jumped to the highest level in two months, although the figures were skewed in part by Hurricane Isaac. Applications increased by 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 382,000, the Labor Department said ...

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WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, and a private survey showed businesses stepped up hiring in August. The data sketched a brighter outlook for the job market one day before the government reports on August employment. ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell by 6,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 361,000, a level consistent with modest gains in hiring. The Labor Department said Thursday that the less volatile four-week average rose ...

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