Washington ? Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, smoothing out an increase from the previous week and offering a snapshot of the uncertainty in the job market as the economy struggles toward recovery.

For the week ending Oct. 19, new applications for unemployment insurance dropped by a seasonally adjusted 25,000 to 389,000, the lowest point since Oct. 5, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The week before, claims rose by a revised 25,000 to 409,500. Analysts said seasonal factors, including the recent Columbus Day holiday, probably account for some of the drop.

The effects of the uneven economic recovery could be seen vividly in the report, which has bounced up and down in the number of people seeking benefits the entire year.

For months now, claims have hovered around the 400,000 mark, a level associated with a sluggish labor market.