First-time filings for state unemployment benefits rose by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 310,000 last week, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday.
The four-week average of new claims -- which smoothes out one-time events that can distort the weekly figures -- dropped by 250 to 318,250, while continuing jobless claims rose by 32,000 to 2.60 million. Economists say the four-week average provides a more accurate snapshot of the labor market.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005
