According to a new report from the Labor Department, the number of people filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week. The number dropped by 27,000 to 341,000. Economists say that the data indicates that the slow increase in claims is consistent with a gradual recovery, but that companies were not hiring large numbers of workers. Job gains averaged around 181,000 a month in 2012, below the 250,000 that is predicted to significantly lower unemployment.
See "Jobless Claims Fall More Than Expected", Reuters, The New York Times, February 14, 2013