WASHINGTON — More people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, although jobless claims continue to be close to pre-recession levels.
Weekly applications for unemployment aid climbed 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 311,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The prior week's was revised up slightly to 290,000.
The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose 2,000 to 295,750. That continues to be close to averages that predate the beginning of the past recession in late 2007.
Read Friday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.