Getting your player ready...
WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits over the past month has reached its lowest point since July 2008, raising hopes that hiring is about to accelerate.
Applications for unemployment benefits rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 409,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s not much higher than the 391,000 level reached in the previous week, and week-to-week figures tend to fluctuate more during the holidays.
A more reliable measure is the four-week average for applications. That fell last week to 410,750, the lowest level in nearly 2 1/2 years. The Associated Press
