That is the number of applications for unemployment benefits that were filed last
week, ending May 14, marking the second week of sharp drops. In the
week ending May 7, these initial jobless claims were at 438,000.
Economists initially predicted that jobless claims for last week would reach about 420,000, but now believe the number will dip below 400,000 next week. The
relatively more optimistic numbers moves the number of jobless claims back to where
they were a month ago.
Read more »
Recent numbers showing unemployment 
The economy added more jobs than expected in March, but many continue to struggle. People
like Albaro Tellez, who has lived in Chicago for 26 years but drives
over a thousand miles in his van for whatever contract work he can
find. He was laid off from his non-union plumbing job in June 2008,
when The Great Recession began. Sure the jobs market may look
optimistic with the March numbers, but at the current pace the nation won't return to the 5 percent unemployment rate of early 2008 until 
