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Jobless claims unchanged
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January 13, 2000: 9:08 a.m. ET
First-time filings for state benefits remain steady at 309,000, above forecast
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits remained unchanged at 309,000 for the week ended Jan. 8, the government said Thursday.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast about 300,000 new claims for state benefits. New claims have been hovering near or below the 300,000 mark, a level consistent with a tight job market, since mid-January of last year.
The four-week moving average of claims, which generally provides a more accurate picture of jobless trends, rose to 294,000 for the Jan. 8 reporting week, up from a revised 283,500 the week before.
The latest average was the highest since 299,250 in the week ended Oct. 16, 1999. The average has been under 300,000 for 25 straight weeks, the longest run since July 29, 1972 to Jan. 5, 1974.
Continued claims fell to 2,150,000 for the week ended Jan.1, the latest data available, from a revised 2,167,000 the prior week.
Sixteen states reported an increase in claims of more than 1,000 in the week ended Jan 1.
Pennsylvania, which reported initial claims of 12, 783, cited layoffs in the apparel, construction, food, textile, and transportation industries. North Carolina said it had layoffs in the textile, apparel and non-electrical machinery industries.
Tennessee pointed to layoffs in agriculture, while Michigan reported layoffs in the automobile industry. New York, California, Texas and Oklahoma gave no comment. 
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