Business briefs

NATION

Auto-parts supplier files for bankruptcy

NEW YORK — Visteon Corp., the top auto-parts supplier and former subsidiary of Ford Motor Co., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it struggles with a drop in sales to ailing automakers.

Ford — which buys Visteon’s climate control, powertrain and an array of other components for its cars and trucks, said the company’s Chapter 11 filing hasn’t disrupted the flow of parts to its assembly plants and it doesn’t expect future interruptions, although it is monitoring the situation.

Jobless benefits claims

WASHINGTON — The tally of newly laid-off people requesting jobless benefits fell last week, the government said Thursday, a sign that companies are cutting fewer workers.

But the number of people continuing to receive unemployment benefits rose to 6.78 million — the largest total on records dating back to 1967 and the 17th straight record week. The figures for continuing claims lag behind initial claims by one week.

The Labor Department said the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance dropped to a seasonally adjusted 623,000, from a revised figure of 636,000 in the previous week. It was below analysts’ estimates of 635,000.

Associated Press