Claims for unemployment benefits hit 228,000 in the week that ended on April 1 and the previous week’s claims were revised up sharply, a sign that the Federal Reserve’s monetary tightening may be beginning to soften demand for labor.
Last week’s claims would have been the highest of the year, except that the prior week’s claims were revised up from 198,000 to 246,000. That makes the April 1 claims week the second highest of the year.
