Applications for US jobless aid hold at 245,000

WASHINGTON- The number of unemployed workers filing for jobless benefits remained the same from the previous week at 245,000, a low level signaling a healthy job market.The Labor Department said Thursday that the four-week average, a less volatile measure, climbed 1,750 to 237,750.Applications are essentially a proxy for layoffs, and any reading below 300,000 is considered low in a historical context. Many employers are finding it difficult to fill their open jobs, so they are motivated to reta