New jobless claims down a bit,
but still high.
New applications for unemployment benefits fell by 22,000 last week, but the number of workers remaining on jobless aid rose to its highest level in more than two years, government data on Thursday showed, pointing to a weakening labor market as the economy slows.
The number of workers filing first-time claims for state jobless aid fell to a seasonally adjusted 356,000 in the week ended Feb. 2, from an upwardly revised 378,000 for the previous week, the Labor Department said.
