Weekly Jobless Claims Up Modestly, Labor Market Trend Improving

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON -- The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment rose marginally last week, but the underlying trend suggested the labor market continued to steadily improve.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits ticked up 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 326,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 1,000 fewer applications received than previously reported.