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WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits posted a big decline last week, reflecting fewer layoffs in the auto industry.
The Labor Department reported that 304,000 newly laid off workers filed applications for benefits, a drop of 30,000 from the previous week, when claims had surged by 20,000.
The big swings over the past two weeks reflected the normal layoffs that occur when the auto industry shuts down production lines for model changeovers. Looking past that volatility, the claims figures have been flashing signals that growth in the labor market is slowing as a result of the slowing economy.
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