WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans requested unemployment benefits last week, but the level remains near historic lows in a positive sign for the job market.
THE NUMBERS: Applications for jobless aid jumped 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 287,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The less volatile 4-week average climbed 4,500 to 277,000.
Over the past 12 months, the number of people receiving benefits has fallen 7.1 percent to 2.2 million.
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Businesses still view the U.S. economy as growing, despite the manufacturing sector struggling amid a broader global slowdown. Employers have hired about 210,000 workers a month this year. And unemployment last month held at a seven-year low 5 percent.
