Initial claims for U.S. state unemployment increased for the third consecutive week, climbing 15,000 in the Feb. 3 week to 361,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The Labor Department cited no special factors contributing to this week's rise. The new level was higher than a consensus forecast from a Market News International survey, which had centered on a 4,000 increase to 350,000 with a range of down 1,000 to up 14,000. The four-week moving average for initial claims in the Feb. 3 week turned upward again, rising 4,250 to 331,000, about the same level as mid-November, when auto sector layoffs began having a heavy impact.