By Rex Nutting
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 457,000 in the week ended March 13, marking the third straight decline, the Labor Department reported Thursday. It was in line with expectations. The four-week average of initial claims - a better gauge of employment trends than the volatile weekly number - fell by 4,250 to 471,250. The number of people who continue to get regular unemployment checks rose by 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 4.58 million in the week ended March 6.
