THE ECONOMY
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Jobless Claims Rise; Moderating Growth Seen: The number of newly laid-off workers filing claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly rose by 14,000 last week. It was the third straight increase, and analysts said it suggests economic growth is moderating. New applications for unemployment insurance totaled a seasonally adjusted 364,000, up from a revised 350,000 during the week ended April 9, the Labor Department reported. It was the highest level of first-time claims since 375,000 were filed in the week ended Feb. 19. Many analysts had expected a drop of about 8,000 claims. The revised figure for the April 9 week shows that more newly laid-off workers had filed claims than initially thought. The department’s original estimate was 348,000.
