The number of newly laid-off workers filing first-time unemployment benefit claims rose last week, according to a Labor Department report released on Thursday. The number of people remaining on the jobless benefit rolls, meanwhile, fell to 6.2 million from 6.25 million, the lowest level since mid-April. The Labor Department said new claims for unemployment aid increased by 25,000 to a seasonally adjusted 584,000 - above analysts' estimates of 570,000. A department analyst said the increase comes after claims were artificially depressed earlier this month by the timing of temporary auto factory shutdowns, which happened earlier this year than in most years. Still, this week's total is below the 617,000 initial claims reported in late June. It reflects a trend that economists say indicates a slowing pace of layoffs. Stocks surged in morning trading as investors welcomed both the new data on jobless claims and better-than-expected earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average rose about 150 points, or 1.6 percent, and broader stock averages also jumped.
