Bloomberg (08/30/12) Lorraine Woellert
Applications for U.S. jobless benefits were flat last week at a seasonally adjusted 374,000, the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The median forecast of 50 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for 370,000. Initial claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 374,000 from an original reading of 372,000, based on more complete data collected at the state level. The average of new claims over the past month, meanwhile, rose by 1,500 to 370,250.