The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits rose last week, maintaining a pattern of gains and losses around decade lows that signals firings remain muted.
Jobless claims climbed by 10,000 to 277,000 in the week ended Sept. 26, a report from the Labor Department showed Thursday. The median forecast of 48 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for 271,000. The four-week moving average fell to the lowest level in almost two months and the total number of people receiving benefits was the smallest in 15 years.
Employers are retaining staff amid solid domestic demand, one reason why claims have been hovering near historically low levels even as overseas markets languish. Labor Department data on Friday may show payrolls climbed by about 200,000 workers in September after a 173,000 gain, according to the Bloomberg survey.