WASHINGTON — A steady decline in the number of Americans applying for weekly unemployment benefits is the latest signal that the U.S. economy has strengthened and businesses may be poised to step up hiring. Applications fell last week fell to ...

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WASHINGTON— Factories are producing more. Construction is growing. People are buying more cars. The holiday shopping season is off to a strong start. Normally, all that would suggest a bright outlook for the economy. Problem is, employers still aren’t hiring ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose for the second straight week, a sign the hiring market is recovering at a slow and uneven pace. Weekly applications for unemployment benefits rose by 6,000 last week to ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits ticked up slightly last week after two months of steady declines. But the increase isn’t enough to reverse the downward trend. The four-week average of applications, a less volatile measure, fell ...

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew more slowly over the summer than the government had earlier estimated because businesses cut back more sharply on restocking of shelves. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that the economy expanded at an annual rate ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level since early April, a sign that layoffs are easing and hiring may pick up. Weekly applications dropped by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week fell to the lowest level since April, a sign that employers could be stepping up hiring. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications dropped to a ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dipped slightly last week, though not by enough to suggest that hiring is picking up. Weekly applications for unemployment benefits declined 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 402,000, the Labor Department said ...

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WASHINGTON — Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits have fallen to a six-month low, according to a four-week averaged calculated by the government. Some economists said the steady decline signals fewer layoffs and possibly stronger job growth in the months ahead. ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, a sign that the job market remains weak. Weekly applications increased by 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 401,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The modest ...

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