HIGHER AND HIGHER BABY
U.S. jobless claims up, continued claims hit record
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits rose 9,000 last week and so-called continued claims notched a fresh record as a year-long U.S. recession continued to slam the labor market, data on Thursday showed.
The Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits increased to a seasonally adjusted 654,000 in the week ended March 7 from a revised 645,000 the week before.
Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast 645,000 new claims versus a previously reported count of 639,000 the week before.