Sentence 1: The civilian unemployment rate improved marginally last month -- slipping to 6.1 percent -- even as companies slashed payrolls by 93,000.
Sentence 2: The civilian unemployment rate improved marginally last month _ sliding down to 6.1 percent _ as companies slashed payrolls by 93,000 amid continuing mixed signals about the nation's economic health.
Similarity score (0-5): 4.0