Greg Robb
Market Watch
June 25, 2009

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- First-time filings for state unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly in the latest week to reclaim the highest level for this key economic benchmark since the middle of May, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

For the week ended June 20, initial claims rose 15,000 to 627,000. This is the highest level since the week ended May 16. Read full report.

After peaking in late March, the trend has been for an incremental decline in claims. This has been one of the principal "green shoots" of recovery.

This week's rise came as an unexpected, however. Economists had been projecting that a further slight decline was in the cards.

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