U.S. Applications for Jobless Benefits Rise Less Than Forecast

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose less than forecast, marking the first increase in six weeks and adding to signs of a labor market strong enough to sustain consumers and drive the expansion.

Jobless claims climbed by 6,000 to 211,000 in the week ended Jan. 18, according to Labor Department figures released Thursday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 214,000. The four-week average, a less-volatile measure, dropped to 213,250, the lowest since the end of September.