For the fifth consecutive week, the number of people filing for unemployment benefits has fallen.
During the week ended May 12, first-time jobless claims fell by 5,000 to 293,000, the fewest claims since January, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. For the week of May 5, the department said there were 298,000.
The department also said continuing claims for unemployed workers drawing unemployment benefits for more than a week decreased by 78,000 to 2,473,000.
The country’s unemployment rate in April stood at 4.5 percent, up from 4.4 percent in March.
