New applications for unemployment benefits rose slightly in the first week of March to 243,000, the Department of Labor reported Thursday, up from the lowest level in more than four decades the week before.
Private-sector forecasters had expected jobless claims to bounce back up to a still very low 238,000.
Low jobless claims are a good sign, because they indicate that layoffs are rare.
Over the past month, average weekly claims have been running at 236,500, a level not seen since the early 1970s and way below the level that economist think would indicate rising unemployment.
Thursday’s report will bolster expectations for a strong number in Friday’s jobs report.
Already, anticipation for the report is high, thanks to President Trump’s boasting this week about strong job gains in unofficial reports from private companies.
Forecasters expect that the jobs report for February will show around 200,000 new payroll jobs.
The jobless claims numbers are adjusted for seasonal fluctuations.
