New claims for U.S. unemployment benefits were unchanged last week, the government reported Thursday, suggesting modest but steady gains in the job market. The Labor Department said weekly jobless claims remained at 370,000. The four-week moving average of jobless claims, considered a better gauge of labor-market trends, fell from 380,000 to 375,000. Jobless claims jumped in April to a five-month high of 392,000, but have declined since then and are near the lowest levels in four years. The decline suggests hiring could accelerate in May after slumping the previous two months. When applications drop below 375,000 a week, hiring is strong enough to lower the national unemployment rate, currently at 8.1 percent.
