The number of Americans making new claims for jobless benefits dropped to a four-month low last week, a sliver of hope for an economy that has been hit with a credit downgrade and falling stock prices, Reuters reported.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 7,000 to 395,000, the U.S. Department of Labor said today, the lowest level since the week that ended April 2. It was below economists’ expectations for a reading of 400,000.

The optimism, though, was somewhat dampened by a surprise widening of the trade deficit in June. The deficit jumped to $53.1 billion, the largest since October 2008, from $50.8 billion in May.

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday said that economic growth was considerably weaker than expected and unemployment would fall only gradually. The U.S. central bank promised to keep interest rates near zero until at least mid-2013.

In another negative economic sign, the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index dropped to minus 49.1 in the period to Aug. 7, its lowest level since mid-May. The measure was less than five points away from the record low of minus 54 reached in November 2008.