WASHINGTON - The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped by a larger-than-expected amount last week, indicating the nation's labor market remains strong.

The Labor Department reported that 278,000 laid-off workers applied for jobless benefits last week, a decline of 20,000 from the previous week.

It was the biggest drop in five weeks, since a decrease of 36,000 claims the week ending Jan. 14. Weekly jobless applications have been below 300,000 for six straight weeks, a range that reflects healthy job conditions.

注释：

1、apply for：申请、请求
2、unemployment benefit：失业津贴
3、expect：v. 预期
4、indicate：v. 说明、显示、预示
5、labor market：劳动市场
6、Labor Department：劳动部
7、laid-off workers：失业人员、下岗职工
8、decline：n. 下降
9、six straight weeks：连续六周
10、reflect：v. 反映、表现