Weekly first-time jobless claims jump

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Initial unemployment claims rose by 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 377,000 for the week ending Jan. 21, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday.

The previous week's upwardly revised figure was 356,000, the department said in a release.

At 377,500, the four-week moving average held to less than 400,000 for the 11th consecutive week.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 8.5 percent in December, down from November's 8.6 percent on a gain of 200,000 jobs.

The advance number of actual unadjusted first-time joblessness claims under state programs was 414,122 in the week, a decrease of 112,817 from the previous week, Labor Department officials said.