Jobless claims up by 4,000
The US Labor Department said first-time jobless benefits claims rose by 4,000 to 352,000 in the week that ended last Saturday.
Weekly jobless claims surged to the highest level in seven years, durable- goods orders took a bigger- than-expected tumble and new-home sales plunged to the slowest pace in 17 years, according to government data released Thursday.