WASHINGTON -- More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but unemployment claims remain at historically low levels, layoffs are rare and most workers enjoy unusual job security. The Labor Department reported Thursday that unemployment claims ticked up to 200,000 last week from a revised 191,000 the week before, coming in higher than the 195,000 economists had forecast. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, was unchanged at 195,250. Applications for unemployment benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them closely because they can provide signs of where the job market is headed.
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