By Ruth Mantell
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- First-time claims for state unemployment benefits ticked up by 4,000 to 558,000, after seasonal adjustments, in the week ending Aug. 8, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch were looking for an initial claims level of 543,000. The four-week average of new claims rose 8,500 to 565,000. In the week ending Aug. 1, the number of people who continued to collect benefits fell 141,000 to 6.2 million, the lowest level since April. The four-week average of continuing claims fell 27,750 to 6.26 million. The insured unemployment rate dipped to 4.7% from 4.8% in the prior week.
