**[Analysis: U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Slightly Decline, Indicating Moderate Layoff Levels]** Odaily Planet Daily News - U.S. initial jobless claims fell last week, indicating that corporate layoffs remain limited. The U.S. Department of Labor stated on Thursday that for the week ending March 7, initial jobless claims totaled 213,000, down from 214,000 the previous week and below market expectations of 215,000. Continuing jobless claims for the week ending February 28 dropped to 1.85 million, down from 1.87 million the previous week. Prior to the release of Thursday's initial jobless claims data, the U.S. Department of Labor had published a weaker-than-expected employment report last week, showing a reduction of 92,000 jobs last month, compared to an increase of 126,000 jobs in January. However, the relatively moderate initial jobless claims data suggests that companies are more inclined to retain employees rather than implement large-scale layoffs. (Jin10)