First-Time Jobless Filings Decline.

The government said Thursday that the number of people claiming jobless benefits for the first time dropped slightly last week, evidence that the labor market remained weak even as the economy is recovering. The Labor Department said that its tally of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment insurance fell by 1,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 530,000 last week. Analysts expected a steeper drop to 521,000. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]