While new jobless claims still aren't extremely high, they've definitely
been creeping upwards.
Initial claims for state unemployment insurance rose to 346,000 in the week ended Dec. 15 from a slightly upwardly revised 334,000 in the prior week, the Labor Department said.
Wall Street economists predicted claims would rise to 335,000 from the originally reported 333,000 claims for the week ended Dec. 8.
The rise in new claims nudged the four-week moving average to up to 343,000, its highest since October 2005 when they measured 358,250. The moving average, which irons out
week-to-week fluctuations, was 338,750 the prior week.
