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JOBLESS FIGURES IMPROVE BUT STILL WEAK

Even though new claims for jobless benefits fell more than expected last week, dipping below 600,000 for the first time since early January, the number of Americans seeking this safety net points to an economy that is still very weak. Layoffs are slowing, but jobs are scarce, leaving nearly 7 million Americans collecting unemployment checks and retailers looking for customers. The number of newly laid-off workers requesting unemployment insurance fell by 52,000 to a seasonally adjusted 565,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. But the drop was mostly because of a shift in the timing of auto-related layoffs, leading many economists to discount the decline. Weekly claims remain far above the 300,000 to 350,000 range that analysts say is consistent with a healthy economy. New claims last fell below 300,000 in early 2007. The lowest level this year was 488,000 for the week ended Jan. 3. Thursday's figure indicates that "very steep job losses" likely will continue and that the unemployment rate will keep rising, said Zach Pandl, an economist at Nomura Securities International. Claims may not drop to 350,000 until the middle of next year, he said.

PITCHMAN KEEPS PITCHING EVEN AFTER HIS DEATH

Death won't still the voice of Billy Mays or his mighty powers of persuasion. Viewers will continue to find the boisterous, bearded TV pitchman hawking household products for the indefinite future. And at least one of his commercials is being introduced posthumously. "Just stretch, wrap and it fuses fast," says Mays, demonstrating a product called Mighty Tape on a kitchen drain pipe in the new commercial. Moments later, he's seen, still wearing his signature sport shirt and khaki slacks but accessorized with scuba gear, as he repairs a hole in another diver's air hose underwater using Mighty Tape. The commercial will begin airing July 20. Mays' advertising for other products in the Mighty brand line returned to the air earlier this week. The commercials were pulled after Mays' death June 28 of an apparent heart attack. "Our feeling is, everyone wants to have Billy go on," said Bill McAlister, president of Media Enterprises, a sales and marketing company based in Trevose, Penn. "This is what he would have wanted."

MADOFF WON'T APPEAL LENGTHY SENTENCE

Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff will not appeal his 150-year sentence for a fraud that unraveled overnight last December when Madoff confessed to his sons that nearly $65 billion he promised investors was safe was only worth a few hundred million dollars. "We won't be appealing the sentence," Madoff's lawyer, Ira Sorkin, said Thursday. He declined to say why the decision was made. Rebekah Carmichael, a prosecutor's spokeswoman, declined to comment. The 71-year-old Madoff was sentenced last week after admitting he bilked thousands of investors out of billions of dollars — an epic scheme that spanned the globe.

PRECIOUS METAL PRICES MOVE HIGHER

Investors moved money back into commodities Thursday.

September copper futures jumped 3.6 percent, gaining 7.85 cents to $2.2375 a pound.

Gold added $6.90 to $916.20 an ounce, while silver rose 8.3 cents to $12.9350 an ounce. July platinum rose $8.70 to $1,104 an ounce.

Even oil managed to eke out a small gain, reversing six straight days of losses. Light, sweet crude for August delivery rose 27 cents to settle at $60.41 a barrel after hovering around $60 for much of the day.

The dollar gave up most of its big day-ago gains but came off its five-month low against the yen in Thursday trading. The 16-nation euro rose to $1.4036 from $1.3851. Meanwhile, the dollar rose to 93.01 yen from 92.45 yen.