WASHINGTON — Seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims rose 43,000 to 474,000 for the week ended April 30, their highest level since the week ending Aug. 14, 2010, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s up from a revised 431,000 in the previous week.
Economists had expected a decline to 410,000 claims, according to the median of estimates polled by Thomson Reuters.
The increase was based on a confluence of special factors affecting the seasonal adjustment.
Continuing claims rose to 3.733 million for the week ended April 23, up from 3.659 million the week before.
