Remember, this is only those who are claiming unemployment benefits.

First-time claims for unemployment benefits rose to 320,000 for the week ending February 28, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The number was well above the roughly 295,000 expected by Wall Street and higher than the 313,000 reported the previous week. It was the highest mark since May of 2014.

The four-week moving average for claims rose from 294,500 to304,750.

The weak readings for the past two weeks come amid tough winter conditions in some states that may have slowed commerce. Just one state, however, with an unusual number of unemployment claims in the latest week attributed the rise to inclement weather: Kentucky.

One concern would be if the slight rise in jobless claims reflects a slowing in the jobs recovery, which accelerated through the end of 2014 and into 2015, with over 300,000 jobs created on average in the past three months.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to release the jobs report for February on Friday morning. Private-sector economists expect roughly 230,000 new payroll jobs, down from 257,000 in January, and for the unemployment rate to tick down by a tenth of a percentage point to 5.6 percent.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jobless-claims-rise-to-320000/article/2561085