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WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell by 23,000 last week, further evidence that the job market is slowly returning to health.

The Labor Department says applications declined to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, down from 363,000 the previous week.

The less volatile four-week average ticked down 500 to 339,500. That's close to the five-year low of 338,000 registered the first week of May. The four-week average is 9 percent lower than in November.

Unemployment claims are a proxy for layoff. The decline in claims has coincided with steady job growth. Since November, employers have added an average 208,000 jobs a month, up from 138,000 the previous six months.

Still, much of the improvement has come from fewer layoffs, not hiring.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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    wrote...
    The job market HAS NOT IMPROVED
    December 27, 2012 11:09 am
    There are still millions out of work due to the mortgage mess. The economy has not recovered in the slightest. Obama wants bigger government (that is where the jobs came from), increased state aid (99 week unemployment) and now we will fall off the fiscal cliff due to the kindergarden action in Washington. The congressional idiots will delay this fiscal cliff and claim it will be solved in a few months. Wake up America, they will never come to agreement and we will continue this recessional path.
  • Abuse
    Steve wrote...
    Disability claims are also
    December 27, 2012 11:11 am
    At an all time high.
  • Abuse
    Steve wrote...
    Obama thinks the US is to big
    January 10, 2013 10:13 am
    for its britches so he has decided to knock us down a few notches and boy is he doing a great job of it. No jobs, record deficits, trampling the constitution, etc.
  • Abuse
    2cents wrote...
    Wow
    January 17, 2013 7:01 am
    They are really spinning those numbers hard to make a sinking ship look like a submarine. And based on how our nation voted we will naively remain on board.
  • Abuse
    gmoney wrote...
    Well, I just received
    March 14, 2013 9:36 am
    my latest annual merit raise this month...I guess I will just quote the conservative mantra, "I got mine, now you get yours." Why don't you sorry conservatives stop whining and do something to lift yourselves up instead of complaining about the job the idiots and I mean all of the idiots on both sides of the aisle are doing in Washington!
  • Abuse
    yrreta wrote...
    Hey gmoney, getting a
    March 28, 2013 1:08 pm
    5% raise at McDonalds ain't nothin' to brag about. Now get back to work, there's probably a turd stuck in the toilet with your name on it.
  • Abuse
    2cents wrote...
    Not to worry . . .
    April 4, 2013 6:40 am
    Obama is continuing to order up oodles of new government jobs as we speak. Currently he is recruiting legions .. . . tens of thousands for starters . . of what he calls Navigators, who facilitate disseminating Obamacare and whatever additional tantalizng packages can be peddled to one and all. As private enterprise dwindles, Obama assimilates. Destroy and replace. And voila. A nation has been silently and quickly conquered before they even realize it.
  • Abuse
    Steve wrote...
    Obama, the scourge that's killing America
    April 4, 2013 6:44 am
    .
  • Abuse
    SurpriseMe wrote...
    gov downsize
    May 9, 2013 4:55 am
    now that the unemployment rate is so low the government now needs to start major cutting of size. downsize all departments but military by 40% starting with politicians and their aids. in fact the number of politicians are based on the size of states and districts but with todays technology they could represent so many more meaning we could reduce the number politicians and get the same results.
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