Jobless Claims Up Second Straight Week
Washington, DC, Dec. 19, 2013 -- Initial claims for unemployment benefits last week rose to the highest level in nearly nine months, according to the Labor Department.
Initial claims rose 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 379,000, the Labor Department said. That was the highest level since March.
Economists expected first-time applications to fall to 334,000 last week.
The claims data is difficult to adjust for seasonal fluctuations around the holidays.