U.S. weekly jobless claims rise 3,000 to 271,000
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The number of people who applied for U.S. unemployment benefits edged up by 3,000 to 271,000 in the seven days from June 14 to June 20, but layoffs remain quite low amid a steady increase in hiring and a tightening labor market. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected claims to total a seasonally adjusted 274,000. The average of new claims over the past month, meanwhile, fell by 3,250 to 273,750, the Labor Department said Thursday. The four-week average smooths out sharp fluctuations in the more volatile weekly report and is seen as a more accurate predictor of labor-market trends. Continuing jobless claims rose by 22,000 to 2.25 million in the week ended June 13. These claims reflect people already receiving unemployment checks.
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