U.S. Jobless Claims on the Rise

From Reuters: "Jobless Claims Rise More Than Expected"--

The number of new claims for U.S. jobless benefits climbed more than expected to 312,000 last week, government data showed on Thursday, while a more reliable job market gauge fell to its lowest level in more than four years.

Initial claims for state unemployment insurance rose by 9,000 in the week ended Feb. 19, from an upwardly revised 303,000 the prior week, the Labor Department (news - web sites) said.

The number of claims came in well above the 305,000 Wall Street economists had forecast.

--Posted by Illinois personal injury attorney T. Evan Schaeffer of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.