Jobless Claims Rise Slightly

The number of Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits edged up slightly last week, the government said on Thursday in a report that nevertheless offered some hope the economy may soon start generating jobs.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose a slim 2,000 to 398,000 in the week ending August 9, the Labor Department (news - web sites) said. The figures were close to expectations on Wall Street, where economists had expected claims to hold steady at the 390,000 level originally reported for the August 2 week.

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