Bloomberg (08/16/12) Michelle Jamrisko; Shobhana Chandra
Jobless claims climbed by 2,000 to 366,000 in the week ended Aug. 11, the U.S. Department of Labor reported today, bringing the average over the past month to the lowest level since late March, a sign the labor market has stabilized after employment picked up in July. The median forecast of 45 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for an increase to 365,000. The four-week moving average dropped to 363,750, the fewest since the week ended March 31.