More Americans file for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs remain historically low

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week, but layoffs remain historically low and the job market broadly healthy.The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for jobless benefits rose by 14,000 for the week ending January 11, up from the previous week’s 203,000. The previous week’s figure was the lowest since February of last year. The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of January 4 fell to by 18,000 to 1.86 million. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs.