New claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, the government said Wednesday, as layoffs spread throughout the economy, more evidence the labor market is weakening as the recession deepens, AP reported. The Labor Department reported that initial requests for jobless benefits rose to a seasonally adjusted 586,000 in the week ended Dec. 20, from an upwardly revised figure of 556,000 the previous week. That's more than the 560,000 economists had expected. That's also the highest level of claims since November 1982, though the work force has grown by about half since then.
