Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly climbed to a nine-week high, underscoring the difficulty adjusting the data for seasonal variations such as the Easter holiday and spring recess at schools.
Jobless claims rose by 14,000 to 344,000 in the period ended April 26, the highest level since Feb. 22, U.S. Labor Department data showed today in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 320,000.
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, increased to 320,000 from 317,000 in the prior week.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits rose by 97,000 to 2.77 million in the week ended April 19.
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