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Jobless claims up 5,000
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March 9, 2000: 10:23 a.m. ET
First-time unemployment filings rise modestly to 280,000
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose to 280,000 for the week ended March 4, up
from 275,000 the week before, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
Claims 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, dropped to 277,250 for the reporting period from 284,000 the week before. It was the second straight week the four-week moving average has been in a downtrend, and the latest figure marked the lowest since 256,750 in the Dec. 15, 1973, week.
Continued claims were reported at 2,123,000 for the Feb. 26 reporting period, the latest data available.
Two states, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, reported an increase in claims of more than 1,000 in the week ended Feb. 26, the latest period for which the data are available. Massachusetts blamed layoffs in the service industry, while Rhode Island saw more layoffs in both service industries and in manufacturing. 
-- from staff and wire reports--
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