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The number of jobless claims in U.S. increased unexpectedly in the first week of January despite positive condition of the market in general, the Labor Department reported on Thursday. Unemployment insurance claims grew to a seasonally adjusted 371,000 from the previous week's 367,000, but the increase was caused mainly by reading distortion of winter holidays for the second week.
"Claims are in a pretty steady range, but the story isn't in firings so much as it is in hiring," said Michael Hanson, a senior U.S. economist at Bank of America Corp. In New York.
"Hiring has been okay. The process is sluggishly moving forward. We need to see better payrolls data to get faster economic growth."