More Americans apply for jobless benefits; layoffs still low

By MATT OTT
AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs remain at historic lows. Jobless claims rose by 14,000 to 202,000 for the week ending March 26, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week’s tally of 188,000 claims was the fewest since 1969. First-time applications for jobless aid generally track the pace of layoffs. The four-week average for claims, which compensates for weekly volatility, fell to 208,500 from 212,000 the previous week. In total, 1,307,000 Americans were collecting jobless aid for the week ending March 19, the fewest since December 1969.