The Jobless Claims Numbers

Updates

Initial claims for U.S. state unemployment benefits rose less than expected in the April 12 week, increasing by 2,000 to 304,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The forecast for this week's report was for a claims level of 315,000, which would have been an increase of 15,000 from the previously reported 300,000 level. Last week's figure was revised up to 302,000.

The Labor Department said there were no special factors in this week's report.

Original Post

MarketWatch is reporting:

The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits will likely posted a slight gain in the latest weekly data, but remain near the slowest pace in almost seven years, according to economists polled by MarketWatch.

The consensus of economists forecasts that weekly initial claims for regular state unemployment-insurance benefits will rise to 315,000 in the week that ended April 12. That tally would be just a bit above 300,000 for the prior week, which was the lowest result since May 2007, government data show.