U.S. unemployment benefits claims climbed modestly last week, the Associated Press reports, in a sign that employers are still retaining workers despite indications that the economy is slowing.
The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of Americans seeking jobless benefits for the week ending Aug. 30 rose by 8,000 to 237,000 — more than the 231,000 economists had expected.
The four-week average of claims, which softens some of the week-to-week gyrations, rose by 2,500 to 231,000.
The total number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits for the prior week of Aug. 23 fell by 4,000 to 1.94 million.
While layoffs are low, hiring has also weakened in what economists call a “no fire, no hire” economy. The unemployment rate remains a historically low 4%, however.
