WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans sought unemployment aid last week, a sign that businesses are holding onto their workers and hiring is likely solid. Americans are buying new and existing homes at a steady pace and are expected to spend at a solid pace during the winter holiday shopping season. Many businesses have worked off excess supplies in their warehouses and on store shelves. Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods slipped 0.1 percent last month, the Commerce Department said in a separate report.