But over the past month, they increased by eight percent in Georgia. (See separate story.)
The Labor Department says nationwide applications for benefits dropped 29,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 409,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose slightly to 439,000, the sixth straight increase.
The declines come after applications spiked last month, largely the result of temporary factors. The department reported two weeks ago that applications had surged to an eight-month high of 474,000.
That was nearly 100,000 above February's three-year low of 375,000 a level typically consistent with sustainable job growth. Weekly applications peaked during the recession at 659,000.
(AccessNorthGa.com's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/5/238801