WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (AFP) - The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, a government report showed Thursday, in a hopeful sign for the job market.
The number of first-time claimants dropped by 11,000 people to 336,000 in the week ended July 31, the Labor Department said.
A four-week average of new claims, which smoothes out weekly distortions, rose 6,750 to 343,500.
The pool of existing claimants -- those making claims for at least two weeks -- fell by 35,000 people to 2.91 million in the week ended July 14, the latest date for which those numbers are available.