Initial Jobless Claims Rise by 21,000

he number of U.S. workers filing for initial unemployment benefits rose by 21,000 in the week ended April 23, reversing three straight weeks of declines, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The rise was in line with analysts’ forecasts, Bloomberg reported. Jobless claims reached 299,000 claims, Labor said.

The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, fell to 323,500.

The four-week average for continuing claims rose to 2.632 million, also a four-year low.