Jobless Claims Jump 19,000
Washington, DC, April 12, 2007--The number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly jumped 19,000 last week, according to the Labor Department.
Initial filings for state unemployment insurance aid for the week ended April 7 rose to the highest level in two months to a seasonally adjusted 342,000 from an upwardly revised 323,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said.
A Labor Department analyst said seasonal adjustments had difficulty accounting for the weeks in which U.S. schools close for "spring break." The closures come at different times in different states, and can affect employment in businesses as well as schools.
In the week ending March 31, claims had posted a larger-than-expected rise to an initially reported 321,000, and analysts on Wall Street had expected claims to slip to 320,000 in the latest week.
