MW: U.S. jobless claims edge up to 315,000, layoffs low
By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The number of people who applied for U.S. unemployment benefits rose by 2,000 to 315,000 in the week ended June 28, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected claims to total 314,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. Jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, have been hovering near a postrecession low for several months. The average of new claims over the past four weeks, meanwhile, edged up by 500 to 315,000. The monthly figure smooths out the jumpiness in the weekly data and offers a better look at underlying trends in the labor market. Also, the government said continuing claims increased by11,000 to a seasonally adjusted 2.58 million in the week ended June 21. Continuing claims reflect the number of people already receiving benefits. Initial claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 313,000 from 312,000.
