Labor Department: Straight Increase

straight increase: The Labor Department says the four-week average, a less volatile measure, inched up 6,750 to 347,250, a third straight increase, according to CBC. The decline in applications for unemployment aid has coincided with solid hiring. In the past six months, employers have added an average of 208,000 jobs a month. That's up from an average of only 138,000 in the previous six months and The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose 10,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 354,000. Still, the level of applications is consistent with steady hiring and remains near a five-year low. Weekly applications are a proxy for layoffs. Earlier this month, they fell to 338,000, the fewest in any week since 2008. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.