MW: U.S. weekly jobless claims unchanged at 627,000
First time claims for state unemployment benefits were unchanged at 627,000 for the week ending Feb. 14, the Labor Department reported on Thursday. The four-week average of initial claims, which measures the underlying trend, rose by 10,500 to 619,000. Continuing claims rose by 170,000 to 4.98 million in the week ending Feb. 7, a 27-year high. The four-week average of continuing claims climbed by 92,500, to 4.83 million, also a 27-year high.
