By Moming Zhou
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Crude-oil futures remained higher above $70 a barrel Thursday after the Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell by 33,000 to a seasonally adjusted 521,000 in the week ending Oct. 3. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected claims to decline less, to 540,000. Crude for November delivery rose 63 cents, or 0.9%, to $70.20 a barrel in North American electronic trading.
