U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Rise To 210,000

(RTTNews) - A report released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed a modest increase in first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits in the week ended March 21st.

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims rose to 210,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 205,000. The uptick came in line with economist estimates.

Jobless claims bounced back slightly after hitting their lowest level in almost two months in the previous week.

Meanwhile, the report said the less volatile four-week moving average edged down to 210,500, a decrease of 250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 210,750.