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The number of people filing for first-time unemployment claims rose last week, ticking up after a string of declines.
The overall trend continues to point toward easing layoffs, despite last weeks' mild tick higher, but economists still see evidence of sluggish hiring.
The claims statistics, combined with a disappointing reading Wednesday for September private payrolls, could spark some concern ahead of the government's monthly employment report, which is set to be released on Friday morning.
The U.S. Labor Department announced that initial jobless claims, a closely-watched measure of layoffs, rose to 551,000 for the week ended September 26. This was up 17,000 from the previous week's revised total of 534,000.
The advance follows three consecutive weeks of declines and marked just the second increase in the last six weeks.
In the previous week, claims had reached their lowest level since mid-July, before ticking up again last week.
The four-week moving average for initial claims, a statistic that flattens out week-to-week fluctuations, edged down to 548,000 from the previous week's reading of 554,250.
Continuing claims, a measure of people receiving ongoing unemployment help, slipped 70,000 to a level of 6.09 million. This was its lowest reading since early April.
"There is no question there is a continued slowdown in the pace of firings but businesses remain reluctant to hire," Peter Boockvar, managing director and equity strategist for Miller Tabak + Co., said of the data.
He pointed out that statistics for emergency unemployment compensation and extended benefits suggest that people coming off the continuing claims rolls are looking for further benefits, and not necessarily finding a new job.
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