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Jobless claims rise
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February 10, 2000: 9:09 a.m. ET
Claims surpass 300,000 barrier for second time since October
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits climbed to 301,000 for the week ended Feb.5, up from 274,000 the prior week, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
Economists polled by Briefing.com had forecast about 280,000 new claims for state benefits.
The department attributed the steep rise in initial claims to a return of applicants to unemployment offices following recent winter storms.
This is the second time U.S. jobless claims figures have climbed above the 300,000 mark since Oct. 2. Claims that hover near or below the 300,000 level are consistent with a tight job market.
The four-week moving average of claims, which generally provides a more accurate picture of jobless trends, was at 276,250 for the Feb. 5 reporting week, down from a revised 278,750 from the week before.
Continued claims increased to 2,157,000 for the week ended Jan. 29, the latest data available, from 2,005,000 for the Jan. 22 reporting period.
Eight states reported an increase in claims of more than 1,000 in the week ended Jan. 29, the latest period for which data are available. New York, Illinois and Missouri reported the biggest increase in claims. Five states reported a decrease in claims of more than 1,000 for the same period. 
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