Unemployment applications up, but still low. More Americans filed

for unemployment benefits last week. But claims are still at low levels that point to greater job security.

The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for jobless aid rose by 17,000 to a seasonally adjusted 268,000. The less-volatile fourweek average ticked up 500 to 251,500. The overall number of people collecting unemployment checks was 2.08 million, down more than 5 percent from a year earlier.

Weekly claims are at historically low levels that suggest a stable environment for jobseekers.