WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday first-time claims for jobless benefits rose by 2,000 in the week ending Nov. 13.
The four-week rolling average of initial unemployment benefit claims fell by 4,000 to 443,000, the lowest point in more than two years.
The unemployment rate nationally was unchanged in October at 9.6 percent with the addition of 151,000 jobs in the month.
The department said the biggest increases in claims for the week ending Nov. 6 were reported by North Carolina with 3,227 additional claims, Pennsylvania, which added 3,005, and Michigan, which added 2,218.
For the week ending Nov. 6, the biggest decrease was reported by Indiana with a decline of 2,001, followed by Kentucky with a decline of 1,449 and Virginia with a decline of 335.
