WKYT FirstAlert Weather
WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits jumped 20,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 362,000, though it remained at a level consistent with modest hiring.
The Labor Department says the four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose 8,000 to 360,750, the highest in six weeks. A department spokesman says heavy snowstorms in the Northeast didn't affect the total.
Applications are a proxy for layoffs. They have trended downward recently. The four-week average has declined 7.5 percent since mid-November and fell to a five-year low three weeks ago.
Still, the increase puts applications back in the 360,000-to-390,000 range, where they have fluctuated since early last year. Employers have added an average of 181,000 jobs a month since then.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Current Conditions
Weather for Lexington, Kentucky
Opinion
Most Commented
powered by Disqus
Enter your number for a chance to win great prizes! Message and data rates may apply 
|
