WASHINGTON (AP) — Substantially fewer people sought unemployment benefits last week, which often points to employers feeling more confident about the economy and hiring more workers.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for unemployment aid fell 36,000 to a seasonally adjusted 280,000. The four-week average of applications, a less volatile measure, dropped 4,750 to 299,500. The average is 7.1 percent lower than it was a year ago.

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