WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of people applying for U.S. unemployment benefits declined slightly last week.<br />
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The Labor Department says weekly applications for jobless aid fell 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 291,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose 1,750 to 287,500.<br />
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Employers are laying off fewer workers and have stepped up hiring this year. The weekly applications are a proxy for layoffs, and have fallen 16 percent in the past 12 months. They are close to the lowest levels since 2000, a sign companies are more confident in the economy and willing to hold onto their staffs.<br />
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The number of people receiving aid has also fallen steadily, and now stands at 2.33 million, the lowest since December 2000.
