The number of people who applied for U.S. unemployment benefits jumped by 14,000 to 348,000 last week to match a five-week high, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected claims to total 335,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The average of new claims over the past month, a more reliable gauge than the volatile weekly number, was unchanged at 338,250. Also, the government said continuing claims increased by 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 2.96 million in the week ended Feb. 15. Continuing claims reflect the number of people already receiving benefits. Initial claims from two weeks ago, meanwhile, were revised down to 334,000 from an original read of 336,000.
Source: Marketwatch
Source: Marketwatch
