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Post by bot on Jun 27, 2014 16:46:33 GMT -5
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The number of people who applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week fell slightly and remained near a post-recession low, the government reported Thursday. Initial jobless claims dipped by 2,000 to 312,000 in the week ended June 21, the Labor Department said. Economists polled by MarketWatch expected claims to total 310,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The average of new claims over the past month edged up by 2,000 to 314,250. The monthly figure smooths out the jumpiness in the weekly report and offers a better look at underlying trends in the labor market, which has steadily improved through the first five months of 2014. Also, the government said continuing claims increased by 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 2.57 million in the week ended June 14. Continuing claims reflect the number of people already receiving benefits. Initial claims from two weeks ago, meanwhile, were revised up to 314,000 from 312,000.
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