Weekly figures: More seek jobless benefits

More people sought U.S. unemployment benefits last week, though the increase was from a very low level and the figures still point to a healthy job market.

The Labor Department says applications for jobless aid rose 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 267,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, dropped 3,750 to 274,750.

Applications are a proxy for layoffs, and two weeks ago they plummeted to the lowest level in almost 42 years. That suggests that Americans are enjoying a nearly unprecedented level of job security.

SOCIAL MEDIA