ECONOMY
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
New Jobless Claims Rise: The Labor Department reported that the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose slightly in mid-October after falling for three straight weeks. The department said 375,000 workers lined up at state unemployment offices to file claims for jobless benefits during the week that ended Oct. 17, up 8,000 from the 367,000 applications filed the week before. The four-week moving average for claims--viewed as a more accurate indicator of longer-term labor conditions--fell for the third straight week to its lowest level in two years.
