The number of people filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell for a second consecutive week, the government reported Thursday, suggesting a sharp slowdown in job growth in December was likely to be temporary. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims fell 2,000 to 326,000 last week. The four-week moving average of claims, considered a better indicator of labor-market trends because it smoothes weekly volatility, fell 13,500 to 335,000. Job growth slowed sharply in December, with employers adding only 74,000 jobs to payrolls, compared to a gain of 241,000 in November. The December result was blamed on unusually cold weather.
