The Labor Department says the number of people seeking benefits dipped by 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 388,000 for the week that ended March 26. That's the second decline in three weeks.
Applications near 375,000 or below are consistent with a sustained increase in hiring. Applications peaked during the recession at 659,000.
The four-week average of applications, a less volatile measure, rose to 394,250. Still, that figure has dropped by 35,500, or 8 percent, in the past two months.
The department also revised the previous five years of data. The changes showed that applications in recent weeks were moderately higher than previously reported.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/3/237547