THE ECONOMY

Jobless Claims Rise 10,000 to 360,000: The number of Americans applying for state unemployment benefits increased last week, but at a rate that suggests claims are leveling off after weeks of volatility, government statistics show. First-time jobless claims rose by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 360,000. The previous week, claims fell by a revised 56,000, initially reported as a decrease of 59,000. The level of claims is adjusting after being skewed by the General Motors Corp. strike and seasonal variations. Economists had anticipated a rise of 15,000 first-time jobless claims to 362,000. The four-week average for jobless claims, a less volatile gauge of employment conditions, fell to 387,250 from 393,750 the previous week, the Labor Department reported.