Jobless Claims Rise For Second Straight Week

Initial jobless claims came in higher than expected for the second week in a row today.  While economists were looking for a level of 360K, the actual number came in slightly higher at 366K.  After dropping as low as 330K two weeks ago, claims have seen a moderate increase in the last two weeks.  The increase is not entirely a surprise though.  Two weeks ago, we noted that based on the Katrina/Sandy comparison, we were expecting to see claims drift higher in the coming weeks.  Click here to continue.