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Jobless claims edge up
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December 9, 1999: 8:56 a.m. ET
Number of new claims up 1,000 to 293,000 for week of Dec. 4
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits edged up 1,000 to 293,000 last week, the government said Thursday.
That was up from a revised 292,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast new claims for state benefits at 289,000.
The four-week moving average of claims, which generally provides a more accurate picture of jobless trends, inched up to 286,750 from 286,500 in the prior period.
New claims have been hovering near or below the 300,000 mark since mid-January, a level consistent with a tight job market.
Continued claims fell to 2,135,000 for the week ended Nov. 27, the latest data available, from a revised 2,194,000 the prior week. 
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