WORLD> America
Jobless claims fall for second straight week
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-08-21 22:02

WASHINGTON -- The US government says the number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, the second straight weekly drop from a six-year high.

The Labor Department says applications for jobless benefits dropped to 432,000, down by 13,000 from the previous week. That was a steeper drop than analysts expected.

But claims remain elevated compared with recent years. The four-week moving average climbed to 445,750, the highest in almost seven years.