The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits plunged last week. But a big reason was that some automakers skipped their traditional summer shutdowns to keep up with demand, leading to fewer temporary layoffs of autoworkers.

U.S. employers advertised more jobs in May than April, a hopeful sign after three months of weak hiring.

The outlook for the U.S. job market brightened a little Thursday after the government said fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week and surveys of private companies showed hiring increased in June.

Fewer people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, and a private survey showed hiring picked up in June. The reports offered some hope for the job market after three sluggish months of hiring.

U.S. manufacturing shrank in June for the first time in nearly three years, adding to signs that economic growth is weakening.

The U.S. economy is growing too slowly to pull the job market out of a slump, according to the latest data that suggest June will be another weak month for hiring.

The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week, but the level of applications remains too high to signal a pickup in hiring.

Unemployment rates rose in more than two-thirds of U.S. cities last month, evidence that the slowdown in hiring last month was felt nationwide.