WASHINGTON (July 2, 2009)--The government says the number of newly laid-off workers filing for unemployment insurance dropped last week, a sign job cuts are easing.

The Labor Department said Thursday that initial jobless benefit claims fell by 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 614,000.

A survey by Thomson Reurters says that nearly matches analysts' estimates.

The total jobless benefit rolls fell for the second time in three weeks.

The number of continuing claims is down 53,000 to 6.7 million, defying analysts' expectations of a small rise.