Claims for Jobless Benefits in U.S. Point to Firm Job Market
An employee sands the hull of a boat at a manufacturing facility in Edgewater, Florida.
Photographer: Ty Wright/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits increased last week, while staying within a range that shows subdued firings.
Jobless claims rose by 6,000 to 244,000 in the week ended Feb. 18, a report from the Labor Department showed Thursday. The four-week average declined to the lowest level since July 1973.