Jobless Claims Rise Partly on Bad Weather
The number of Americans lining up to claim first-time jobless benefits rose unexpectedly last week, the government said, partly affected by bad weather in the Midwest and Southeast.
Claims for state unemployment aid rose 17,000 to 356,000 in the week ended Jan. 31 from a revised 339,000 in the previous week, the Labor Department said. Analysts were expecting claims to dip to 340,000 from the originally reported 342,000 in the week ended Jan. 24.
The closely watched four-week moving average, considered a more reliable gauge of labor market health because it smooths volatility, was unchanged at 345,250, where it has been for three straight weeks.
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