The number of people filing new applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week but remained near a 14-year low, the government reported Thursday. The Labor Department said jobless claims rose 12,000 to 290,000 last week. The four-week moving average, a better measure of labor-market trends because it smoothes weekly volatility, rose 6,000 to 285,000. Jobless claims now have been below 300,000 for nine consecutive weeks, and in October fell to their lowest level since 2000 at 266,000.
