US Jobless Claims Edge Up to 214,000 as Layoffs Stay Limited

Applications for US unemployment benefits rose last week, though they remain at a level consistent with low layoffs.

Initial claims increased by 6,000 to 214,000 in the week ended April 18, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 210,000. That period coincides with the reference period for the government’s April employment report.