U.S. jobless claims dip; 2014 layoffs lowest in 17 years

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week and job cuts declined for a second straight month in December, adding to signs of a strengthening labour market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped by 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 294,000 for the week ended Jan. 3, the Labor Department said on Thursday. While that was a bit less than Wall Street's expectations of a drop to 290,000, the trend in cl