wanted series tracking job ads on some 1,200 major and niche Internet job boards. The traditional help-wanted index dates back to 1951. There were 1.97 million jobs advertised online in July, down from just over 2 million in June and May but up from about 1.8 million in April, the group said. Sloan said the history of the online help-wanted series is "still too brief to be useful." Earlier, the Labor Department said the number of Americans making new claims for jobless benefits fell by 4,000 last week. Initial claims fell to 315,000 in the week ended Aug. 20 from an upwardly revised 319,000 and was far below the 342,000 logged for the same period a year earlier. "New and continuing claims are at levels that historically have been associated with payroll employment gains of around 225,000. Labor markets are gradually improving," said Wood. This week's report corresponds in timing with the survey period for the August unemployment report, making it of more than usual interest. The four-week moving average of new claims, which smooths out weekly volatility, rose to 315,000 from 313,750. The number of people who remained on the benefit rolls after drawing an initial week of compensation fell 9,000 to 2.58 million in the week ended Aug. 13, the latest week for which data are available. The four-week moving average fell to 2.58 million, the lowest since March 2001.
