Initial Jobless Claims at 19 Month High

Washington, DC, April 3, 2008--Initial unemployment claims for the week ending March 29 rose by 38,000 to 407,000, the highest level since mid-September 2005, according to the Labor Department.

The four-week average of those claims also rose, by 15,750 to 374,500, the highest since the beginning of October 2005. For the week ending March 22, continuing jobless claims rose by 97,000 to 2.94 million.