Jobs, April | featured news

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits surged last week to the highest level in eight months, a troubling sign a day ahead of the government's report on April employment.

In a sign that the state's struggling labor market may be strengthening, 14,200 positions were added by employers in April, the second straight month of expansion.

While improving, the job market still has a long way to go before it can be counted on to provide a base for a sustained economic recovery.