jobs

Last week, the unemployment rate jumped to its highest since January. On Thursday, the Labor Department showed 380,000 new people filed for jobless benefits. That is up 13,000 people from last week. Analysts say it is because of the Easter holiday, and it is the second straight week of increased numbers. High oil prices and uncertainties about the United States economy add to the stress of finding a job, and being able to support their families. "Altogether, the trends in initial jobless claims appear to have flattened out in recent weeks, consistent with the softer rate of payroll growth in the March employment report," said Michael Gapen of Barclays Capital Research in a note to clients. "We look to coming claims reports to see if this is a pause in the broader downward trend, or signs of something more durable in nature."

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-jobless-claims-20120412,0,6019022.story