The number of newly laid-off workers requesting jobless benefits fell slightly last week for the third straight week. But these initial claims for unemployment benefits remain above levels that would signal net job gains.

New claims dropped 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 457,000 in the week ended Saturday, the Labor Department said. That nearly matched analysts' estimates of 455,000, according to Thomson Reuters.

March 19 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose, led by Japanese car and electronics makers, after reports on fewer U.S. jobless claims and higher manufacturing boosted confidence in the recovery of the region's biggest export market. The yen weakened.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.3 percent to 124.74 as of 12:10 p.m. in Tokyo. The yen weakened versus 12 of 16 major counterparts as the U.S. economic report curbed demand for Japan's currency as a refuge. Futures on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index were little changed.

WASHINGTON - The picture of an economy growing modestly without producing inflation yet struggling to create jobs emerged from government reports Thursday.

The number of newly laid-off workers requesting jobless benefits fell slightly last week for the third straight time. But initial claims remain above levels that would signal net job gains.

New claims for unemployment aid fell 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 457,000, the Labor Department said. That nearly matched analysts' estimates of 455,000, according to Thomson Reuters.

Washington The picture of an economy growing modestly without producing inflation yet struggling to create jobs emerged from government reports Thursday.

The number of newly laid-off workers requesting jobless benefits fell slightly last week for the third straight time. But initial claims remain above levels that would signal net job gains.

New claims for unemployment aid fell 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 457,000, the Labor Department said. That nearly matched analysts' estimates of 455,000, according to Thomson Reuters.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks are trading in a narrow range after a fresh batch of reports showed that the economy continues to slowly regain strength.

Thursday's slightly positive reports on inflation, jobless claims and future economic growth are being tempered by new concerns about debt problems in Greece. That's keeping the major indexes narrowly mixed.

In midday trading, the Dow Jones Industrial average is up 10.13, or 0.1 percent, at 10,743.80. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is down 2.58, or 0.2 percent, at 1,163.63, while the Nasdaq composite index is down 0.45, or less than 0.1 percent, at 2,388.64.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of workers filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell less than expected last week, while consumer prices were unchanged in February on lower energy prices.

The data on Thursday pointed to a gradual improvement in the labor market and generally muted inflation pressures, which should allow the Federal Reserve to honor its commitment to keep its benchmark interest rate ultra low for a while.

March 17 (Bloomberg) -- The pound strengthened against the dollar, posting its biggest two-day gain in six months, after a report showed U.K. jobless claims unexpectedly dropped in February, stoking speculation the recovery is taking hold.

Sterling climbed to its strongest level since Feb. 25 versus the U.S. currency after the Office for National Statistics said the number of Britons receiving unemployment benefits dropped 32,300 from January. Bank of England policy makers voted unanimously to keep their 200 billion-pound ($307 billion) bond-purchase program on hold for a second month in March, minutes of the March 4 meeting published today showed.

March 17 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. jobless claims unexpectedly fell in February at the fastest pace since 1997, suggesting the economic recovery is strengthening as Britons prepare for a general election within weeks.

The figures are a boost for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is seeking to persuade voters his Labour Party has the best strategy to cement the economic recovery. The Conservatives' pledge to cut the record budget deficit faster than Brown is planning has cost the party support, raising the specter of a minority government after the election due by June.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell slightly less than expected last week, hinting at a slow labor market recovery.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 462,000 from 468,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said on Thursday. That was a touch less than market expectations for 460,000.

March 11 (Bloomberg) -- Gordon Brown is trying to turn the threat of a double-dip U.K. recession into an advantage.

The British prime minister, whose Labour Party is narrowing the gap in opinion polls with the opposition Conservatives, is arguing that the economic recovery is too "fragile" to justify cutting the U.K.'s record budget deficit right away.

Brown is seeking a fourth term for Labour as Britain struggles to recover from its worst slump in six decades. While jobless claims are at the highest since the party came to power in 1997.

March 5 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose, driving the Nikkei 225 Stock Average to its biggest weekly gain this year, after U.S. jobless claims fell and the yen weakened on speculation the Bank of Japan will expand easing measures.

Billabong International Ltd., a surfwear maker that gets 44 percent of its revenue from the Americas, climbed 3.6 percent in Sydney. Sony Corp., the maker of the PlayStation 3 game machine, rose 3.4 percent as a weaker yen boosted the outlook for export earnings. STX Pan Ocean Co. and Korea Line Corp., South Korea's biggest bulk-shipping lines, advanced more than 6 percent in Seoul after an index of freight rates rose the most since July.

March 5 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese stocks rose, sending the Topix index toward its biggest weekly gain in almost two months, as the yen weakened on speculation the central bank will further ease monetary policies and after U.S. jobless claims dropped.

Canon Inc., which gets 28 percent of its sales from the Americas, and Sony Corp. climbed at least 2.5 percent. The yen weakened to as much as 89.35 per dollar from 88.39 at the 3 p.m. close of stock trading in Tokyo yesterday, boosting the value of their repatriated foreign income.

March 4 (Bloomberg) -- Claims for U.S. jobless benefits dropped last week from a three-month high, pointing to an improvement in the labor market that is slow to develop.

Some companies are still trimming payrolls to contain costs amid weak sales as the U.S. emerges from the worst recession since the 1930s. An unemployment rate that's forecast to average 9.8 percent this year may restrain consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy.

March 4 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks fluctuated as declines in energy and technology companies snuffed out an early advance triggered by a drop in jobless claims and higher-than-estimated worker productivity.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. led declines in all 40 energy companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index as a stronger dollar dragged oil down from a seven-week high. Ciena Corp. slumped 9.4 percent after the maker of network gear posted a bigger-than-estimated loss. Walt Disney Co. and Coca-Cola Co. posted the biggest gains in the Dow Jones Industrial Average following analyst upgrades.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, while productivity was stronger than initially thought in the fourth quarter, boosting hopes for the economic recovery.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 29,000 to a seasonally adjusted 469,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. That was in line with market expectations.

Stocks dipped modestly Thursday after government data showed that jobless claims reached their highest levels since November, renewing concerns about the weak state of the labor market.

An early sell-off sent each of the 30 stocks in the blue-chip Dow Jones industrial average into negative territory in morning trading, but several had recovered those losses by late in the afternoon.

The Dow fell 53.13 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 10,321.03, and the broader Standard & Poor's 500-stock index fell 2.31 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1102.93. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was down 1.68 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 2234.22.

Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) -- The yen may extend its gains against the euro as concern Greece's credit ratings may be downgraded spurs investors to unwind positions in riskier assets.

Japan's currency advanced against all 16 major counterparts yesterday after Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investors Service said Greece faces further downgrades amid Prime Minister George Papandreou's struggle to cut the European Union's largest budget deficit. The dollar fell against the yen after a report showed the number of Americans filing first-time jobless claims unexpectedly rose last week.

* U.S. jobless claims rise unexpectedly in latest week

* Yen hits 3-week high vs dollar, 1-year high vs euro

* Euro rebounds vs dollar, but Greek woes still weigh

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NEW YORK, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The dollar and euro fell against the yen on Thursday as worries about Greece's debt crisis and an unexpected rise in U.S. new jobless claims boosted safe-haven flows into the Japanese currency.

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Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Orders for U.S. durable goods excluding transportation unexpectedly declined in January as demand for business equipment weakened.

Orders unexpectedly fell 0.6 percent, the biggest drop since August, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. Bookings for all goods meant to last several years rose 3 percent, more than anticipated and reflecting a jump in commercial aircraft. A separate report showed first-time jobless claims unexpectedly increased to a three-month high.

WASHINGTON-The number of new claims for unemployment benefits jumped unexpectedly last week as heavy snows led to higher layoffs.

In addition, many state agencies in the mid-Atlantic and New England regions that process the claims were closed due to the storms and are now clearing out backlogs, a Labor Department analyst said.

Still, the increase is likely to amplify concerns that the job market is weakening, potentially slowing the economic recovery.