The number of people filing initial applications for U.S. state unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest level since May, the government reported Thursday, though jobless claims remain at a pace consistent with steady hiring. The Labor Department said claims rose 7,000 to 320,000 last week. The four-week moving average - a less volatile measure because it smoothes weekly fluctuations - increased 10,250 to 304,750, a six-week high. Jobless claims are a measure of layoffs. The four-week average has remained near or below 300,000 since September, a low level that typically suggests healthy job gains.
