Less americans seeking unemployment aid

Washington D.C.—The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits slipped 1,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 298,000, a low level that signals employers are cutting fewer jobs and hiring is likely to remain strong.

Here are the states with the biggest decreases in applications for the week that ended August 16:

California: Down 8,771

Florida: Down 1,462, due to fewer layoffs in farming, manufacturing, retail and services.

Illinois: Down 1,442

Michigan: Down 1,401

Texas: Down 1,050