WASHINGTON(AP) — The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefitsjumped by 17,000 last week to the highest level in two months, the LaborDepartment reported March 10.
The increasepushed claims to 327,000, a worse-than-expected showing that was blamed in parton a surge in filings by laid off workers who were not able to get tounemployment offices the previous week, when claims offices were closed one dayfor the President’s Day holiday.
The increasepushed the four-week moving average, intended to smooth out week-to-weekfluctuations, to 312,500, up from 307,750 the previous week, which had been thelowest level in more than four years.
The increasein jobless claims, which pushed the level to the highest point since Jan. 8,took economists by surprise. They had been expecting claims would hold steadyat the previous week’s level of 310,000. Still, they said even with the uptick,jobless claims were remaining at levels which indicated a healthy labor market.
“We feelstrongly that labor demand is firming,” said Steve Stanley, chief economist atRBS Greenwich Capital. He said he did not believe that the average for weeklyjobless claims over the next several months will go higher than the latestreading.
