Initial Jobless Claims Rise 4,000 For Week

June 29, 2006 8:40 AM, EDT

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irst-time unemployment claims rose by 4,000 to 313,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The increase slightly topped economists’ forecast of a rise to 310,000, Bloomberg reported.

The four-week moving average of claims, a less volatile measure, fell to 305,500 from 311,500 a week earlier.

Continuing jobless claims for the previous week ended June 17 rose to 2.409 million from 2.355 million a week earlier.