US applications for unemployment aid drop sharply

WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last week by the most in nearly a year. The figure was a hopeful sign one day before the government releases the April jobs report.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly unemployment aid applications fell 27,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 365,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, ticked up to 383,500 last week.

AP Photo/Amy Sancetta

This photo shows a sign advertising job openings outside a McDonalds restaurant in Chesterland, Ohio. The number of people seeking unemployment benefi...