Bloomberg (03/20/14) Victoria Stilwell
The number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the week ended March 15 rose by 5,000 to 320,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor—a sign that the labor market continues to strengthen. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast claims of 322,000. The four-week moving average of new claims dropped by 3,500 to 327,000, the lowest level since late November.