Associated Press (01/24/13) Christopher Rugaber
Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 330,000 in the week ended Jan. 19, marking the lowest level since January 2008. Today’s report from the U.S. Department of Labor may be evidence that employers are cutting fewer jobs and may step up hiring, although the decline could reflect the government’s difficulty adjusting its numbers to account for layoffs after the holiday shopping season. The average of new claims over the past month, meanwhile, fell by 8,250 to 351,750, the lowest level since March 2008.