New claims for unemployment benefits rose only a bit last week following the steep drop in the previous period, providing a glimpse of hope for the stubbornly weak U.S. jobs market.
Initial jobless claims rose by 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 401,000 the week ended Oct. 1, the Labor Department said Thursday. Claims filed in the previous week had dropped by 33,000, the sharpest decline in more than four months.