Fewer people sought jobless aid last week

Fewer people sought jobless aid last week

WASHINGTON

Fewer people requested unemployment benefits last week, pushing the average number of applications over the past four weeks to the lowest level in more than 21/2 years.

Applications for unemployment benefits dropped by 22,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 391,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the third decline in the past four weeks.

In Ohio, requests for jobless benefits dropped by 2,173, and in Pennsylvania, applications were down 5,174.

The four-week average for applications, a less volatile figure, fell to 402,000. That’s the lowest number since late July 2008 and a hopeful sign that the job market is slowly improving.

The downward trend in applications indicates that layoffs are dropping steadily. But economists still are unsure when employers will begin hiring enough to make a dent in the 9 percent unemployment rate.

Toyota recalls 2.17M vehicles

WASHINGTON

Toyota Motor Corp. recalled 2.17 million vehicles in the United States on Thursday to address accelerator pedals that could become entrapped in floor mats or jammed in driver’s- side carpeting, prompting federal regulators to close its investigation into the embattled automaker.

The Transportation Department said it had reviewed more than 400,000 pages of Toyota documents and determined the scope of the company’s recalls for pedal entrapment was sufficient.

Associated Press