Ohio Has Large Decline In Jobless Numbers

he government says the tally of newly laid-off people seeking jobless benefits fell last week, a sign that companies are cutting fewer workers.

he Labor Department reports that 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. That was below analysts' expectations of 635,000.

Ohio had one of last week's largest declines, with new claims down by 2,522 because of fewer layoffs in the auto industry.

Auto-related layoffs had elevated the U.S. claims numbers in recent weeks.

The number of people continuing to receive unemployment benefits increased to 6.78 million, the largest total on records dating back to 1967 and the 17th straight record week.