The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest level since February 2015, the government said Thursday, providing sobering news for the labor market after a disappointing April jobs report. The Labor Department reported that applications for jobless aid increased by 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 294,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, climbed by 10,250 to 268,250, the highest in almost three months. Jobless claims are a proxy for layoffs. Despite last week's rise, they remain low. They have come in below 300,000 for 62 straight weeks, the longest streak since 1973. Unemployment claims fell in April to the lowest level since November 1973 before heading back up.
