JOBLESS CLAIMS RISE FOR WEEK THANKS TO VARIANT

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits moved up last week to 332,000 from a pandemic low, a sign that the spread of the delta variant may have slightly increased layoffs. Applications for jobless aid rose from 312,000 the week before, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was the lowest level since March 2020. Jobless claims, which generally track the pace of layoffs, have fallen steadily for two months as employers, struggling to fill jobs, have held onto their workers. Last week’s increase was small and may be temporary.