U.S. unemployment benefit applications fall to 346K

Christopher S. Rugaber Associated Press Comments Job seekers line up to register to attend a job fair held in Atlanta on May 30. (John Amis/Associated Press) Washington — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 346,000 last week, evidence that the job market is still improving modestly, despite signs of slower growth. The Labor Department says the four-week average, a less volatile figure, declined 2,750 to 345,750. That’s near the five-year low of 338,000 that the average touched last month. Applications are a proxy for layoffs. Since March, they have fluctuated between 340,000 and 360,000, a level consistent with steady hiring. Employers...