--US new jobless claims unchanged at 375,000 in latest week
--US new jobless claims 4-week average +7,750 at 364,250
--US jobless claiming benefits +86,000 at 2.475 million
--US jobless benefits 4-week average +7,750 at 2,416,250

By BridgeNews Washington, March 15 (BridgeNews) - New claims for U.S. state unemployment insurance benefits were steady at 375,000 during the week ended Saturday, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday. The result comes in above the 360,000 median estimate of analysts surveyed by BridgeNews. The 4-week moving average rose 7,750, to 364,250, the highest level since July 1998.
* * * The estimates of analysts surveyed by BridgeNews put initial jobless claims for the latest week in a range of 355,000 to 380,000.
For the week ended March 3, initial claims rose 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 375,000, originally reported as 370,000, Labor said. For the same week, the 4-week moving average for new claims was a revised 356,500. In new data for the week ended March 3, 2.475 million people were reported claiming unemployment benefits under regular state programs, up 86,000 from the previous week's 2.389 million, Labor said. The 4-week moving average for the week for continuing claims rose 7,750, to 2,416,250.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HIGHEST SINCE JULY 1998
The seasonally adjusted rate of insured unemployment during the week ended March 3 edged up to 2.0%--the highest since the week ended July 25, 1998--from the previous week's 1.9%. The ratio represents people claiming benefits as a percentage of the workforce eligible for these benefits. Data on continuing claims and the insured unemployment rate are reported with a one-week delay. End
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