AlHijjah 1, 1435, Sep 25, 2014, SPA -- The number of people filing new applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose less than expected last week, the government reported Thursday, suggesting an acceleration in job growth in September. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims increased 12,000 to 293,000 last week. Economists had expected claims to rise to 300,000. The four-week moving average of jobless claims—considered a better measure of labor-market trends because it smoothes weekly volatility—fell 1,250 to 293,500. Jobless claims are hovering near their pre-recession levels, indicating that labor-market conditions are improving despite a sharp slowdown in job creation in August. The number of people still receiving unemployment benefits rose 7,000 to 2.44 million last week. So-called continuing claims fell 89,000 between the August and September survey weeks, suggesting some improvement in the unemployment rate, which stood at 6.1 percent in August.
