Washington, D. C. -
The number of Americans
seeking unemployment benefits is showing an uptick. It jumped 20,000 last week
to a seasonally adjusted 362,000, though it remained at a level consistent with
modest hiring. The Labor Department says the four-week average, a less volatile
measure, rose 8,000 to its highest level in six weeks. A department spokesman
says heavy snowstorms in the Northeast didn't affect the total.
