The number of people filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to nearly a 6-year low that demonstrates that companies are laying off fewer workers, the government reported Thursday. The Labor Department said jobless claims fell 23,000 to 298,000, declining for a third consecutive week. The four-week moving average of claims, a less volatile measure, fell 10,750 to 322,250 last week. Jobless claims have fallen in seven of the past eight weeks, a hopeful sign for year-end job growth and the broader labor-market recovery. The economy has added an average of 202,000 jobs per month from August through October, up from an average of 146,000 in May through July. The government issues its November employment report Friday. The government is expected to report that payrolls increased 180,000 last month and the unemployment rate fell to 7.2 percent from 7.3 percent, economists say.
