US weekly jobless claims rise slightly as labor market stays on solid ground
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits rose marginally last week, suggesting no deterioration in labor market conditions and reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve would not cut interest rates next week. The report from the Labor Department on Thursday showed jobless rolls swelling to the highest level in just over three years in early January. "The labor market is historically tight but some sectors are slowing the pace of hirings," said Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial.