Jobless Claims Edge Up But Remain Near Historic Lows as Labor Market Stays Tight

Initial jobless claims rose slightly to 210,000 last week but remain near 50-year lows, indicating a strong job market.

Continuing claims rose to 1.79 million, the highest since May, suggesting workers are having more trouble finding new jobs quickly.

Low jobless claims point to few layoffs and a still-solid labor market, though the rise in continuing claims bears monitoring.

The Fed may need to raise rates further if low claims and tight labor market fuel economic growth and inflation.

Stocks and bond yields fell on Thursday despite the positive jobs data, on concerns about slowing economic growth.