US new jobless claims up again

WASHINGTON : New claims for US unemployment benefits rose again after dropping for two weeks, the government said Thursday in a reflection of labor market problems in the recession-hit country.

The seasonally adjusted number of claims in the week to October 17 rose 2.1 percent or 11,000 to 531,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 520,000, the Labor Department said.

It was higher than the 515,000 forecast by most economists.