Washington, DC, April 7--The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped by 19,000 last week, the largest decline in two months, according to the Labor Department.
The department said the decline pushed the level of unemployment benefits down to 334,000 after claims had unexpectedly jumped by 23,000 the week before.
The four-week moving average for claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, dipped slightly to 336,500 last week, a level that was viewed as pointing to further improvements in the labor market.
