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Jobless Claims Down, But Economy Stilled Mixed (USA Today)
New claims for unemployment benefits fell last week in a sign that layoffs may be easing as the economy slowly recovers, but economic reports are mixed.
The Labor Department said Thursday that initial claims for unemployment insurance fell 29,000 to a seasonally adjusted 469,000. That nearly matches estimates of 470,000.
Still, improvement in the job market is likely to be slow, as companies remain reluctant to hire. Last week’s drop only partly reverses a sharp rise in claims in the previous two weeks.
Elsewhere:
• The number of buyers who agreed to buy previously occupied homes fell sharply in January, a sign that demand for housing sank this winter, although some say that is due to bad weather.
• Factory orders posted the biggest increase in four months in January, but demand was led by a surge in orders for commercial aircraft, a volatile category. Aircraft orders surged 118.6%; excluding transportation, orders were up a much more modest 0.1%.
