Weekly Jobless Claims Rise More Than Expected

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON -- The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, but the underlying trend continued to point to some strength in the labor market.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 326,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Claims for the week ended March 22 were revised to show 1,000 fewer applications received than previously reported.