Weekly Jobless Claims Show Unexpected Increase

In a report that is likely to lead to renewed concerns about the job market, the Labor Department said Thursday that first-time claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly showed a moderate increase in the week ended July 31st.

The report showed that initial jobless claims rose to 479,000 from the previous week’s revised figured of 460,000. The increase came as a surprise to economists, who had expected jobless claims to edge down to 455,000.