U.S. Unemployment Claims Rise, As Job Market Stagnates

By Lucia Mutikani and Steven C. Johnson


U.S. manufacturing grew at its slowest pace in 11 months in June and the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment aid fell slightly last week, further evidence that the economy was weakening.

Other reports on Thursday underscored the difficulty the economy was having breaking out of a soft patch. Factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic region tumbled to a 10-month low in June and home resales slipped in May.