The number of people filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell for a second consecutive week last week. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims fell 5,000 to 343,000. The four-week moving average of claims, considered a better indicator of labor-market trends, fell 750 to 345,500. Weekly jobless claims, considered a gauge of layoffs, have fluctuated between 340,000 and 360,000 since March, a level consistent with steady hiring.
