For the 323,000 people filing their first claims for jobless benefits last week, unemployment was harsh 100% reality. But overall, judging by the most recent jobless claims numbers the U.S. labor market appears to be encouragingly stable.
Initial claims rose just 1,000 during the week ending May 21, the U.S. Labor Department reported on May 26. And the department's four-week moving average, often seen as a better indicator of underlying market conditions because its smooths out week-to-week changes, rose by only 500 claims last week to a seasonally adjusted 330,500.
