Jobless Claims Tick Up Slightly But Labor Market Remains Strong
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More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but not enough to raise concern about the labor market or economy.
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Jobless claims rose to 218,000 for the week ending Dec. 23, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week.
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The four-week average of claims fell by 250 to 212,000.
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Weekly unemployment claims remain at extraordinarily low levels despite high interest rates.
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Inflation has eased but remains slightly above the Fed's 2% target.