U.S. Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Edge Higher For Third Straight Week

First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased for the third straight week in the week ended September 25th, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday. The report said initial jobless claims edged up to 362,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 351,000.