--US new jobless claims +12,000 at 316,000 in latest week
--US new jobless claims 4-week average -13,750 at 336,000
--US jobless claiming benefits +66,000 to 2.401 million
--US jobless benefits 4-week average +10,500 to 2,476,250
--US jobless benefits 4-week average at highest level in 4 years
By Simon Kennedy BridgeNews
Washington--Jan. 25--New claims for U.S. state unemployment insurance benefits rose 12,000 to 316,000 during the week ended Saturday, the Labor Department said, slightly below the 325,000 median estimate of analysts surveyed by BridgeNews. However, the 4-week moving average fell 13,750 to 336,000, its lowest level since the week ended Nov. 18.
* * * The estimates of analysts surveyed by BridgeNews put initial jobless claims for the latest week in a range of 298,000 to 350,000. For the week ended Jan. 13, initial claims fell 40,000 to a seasonally adjusted 304,000, originally reported as 306,000, Labor said. For the same week, the 4-week moving average for new claims was 349,750, originally reported at 350,000.
In new data for the week ended Jan. 13, 2.401 million people were reported claiming unemployment benefits under regular state programs, up 66,000 from the previous week's revised 2.335 million, Labor said. The 4-week moving average for the week of Jan. 13 for continuing claims rose 10,500 to 2,476,250, the highest level in four years.
The seasonally adjusted rate of insured unemployment during the week ended Jan. 13 rose to 1.9 from the previous week's revised 1.8%. The ratio represents people claiming benefits as a percentage of the workforce potentially eligible for these benefits.
Data on continuing claims and the insured unemployment rate are reported with a one-week delay. End Copyright 2001 Bridge Information Systems Inc. All rights reserved.