U.S. first-time jobless claims gain for second week in row

Initial claims for unemployment benefits advanced in the U.S. by more than economists predicted in the week ended on March 23, when they rose by 16,000 from 341,000 recorded the week before to 357,000, a report unveiled by the Labor Department showed on Thursday. The report also said that the country's jobless rate fell from 7.9% in January to 7.7% the following month.