By Rex Nutting
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The number of initial claims for state unemployment benefits was essentially unchanged in the week of Jan. 2, rising 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 434,000 after dramatic declines the previous two weeks, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The total number of people collecting unemployment benefits of any kind, including extended federal benefits, rose by 518,100 in the week of Dec. 19 to 10.6 million, not seasonally adjusted. The number of people collecting regular state benefits fell by 179,000 in the week ending Dec. 26 to a seasonally adjusted 4.8 million, the lowest in nearly a year. Compared with a year ago, initial claims are down 15%, while state continuing claims are up 13%.
