Jobless Claims Rise Slightly

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans lining up to claim state unemployment insurance rose slightly last week, the government said in a report also containing moderately good news about the jobs market.

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims rose 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 390,000 for the week ended June 8, remaining below the key 400,000 level analysts consider to be indicative of a recession in the jobs market. The number almost matched analysts’ expectations of 391,000.

The four-week moving average of initial jobless claims, considered more reliable because it irons out weekly fluctuations, actually fell by 8,750 to 402,500, the lowest level in almost three months.