U.S. jobless claims rise third straight week

Initial jobless claims in the U.S. increased for the third week in a row in the week ended on March 30 offsetting the previous downward trend, according to a report released by the Labor Department. Claims for U.S. unemployment benefits advanced by 28,000 from a level of 357,000 to 358,000 last week, while economists expected claims to rise to 350,000.