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Jobless claims climb
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December 2, 1999: 9:08 a.m. ET
First-time claimants up 15,000 in latest week; continuing claims rise
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The number of Americans filing first-time claims for state unemployment benefits rose to 291,000 for the week ended Nov. 27, a government report indicated Thursday.
The figure was up from a revised 276,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said. Economists had anticipated that the latest week would reflect a rise in first-time claims to 285,000.
The four-week moving average, which generally provides a more accurate picture of jobless trends, slipped to 286,500 from a revised 286,750.
The four-week moving average in the Nov. 27 week is the lowest since 286,000 for the week ended Sept. 18.
New claims have been hovering near or below the 300,000 mark since mid-January, a level consistent with a tight job market.
Seventeen states reported increases in claims of more than 1,000 for the week ended Nov. 20, the latest data available. Indiana, Michigan, and California headed the list, with more than 4,000 claimants filing in each state during that time period. Indiana blamed layoffs in the transportation equipment and electrical equipment industries for the increase.
Continued claims rose sharply in the week ended Nov. 20, the latest week available, to 2,214,000 from a revised 2,041,000 the prior week. 
--from staff and wire reports
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