Applications for jobless aid rise by 6K, still at low level

WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but their numbers remained low enough to suggest that layoffs are rare and the job market is healthy.

The figures, released a day before the government's February report on job creation and unemployment, show the U.S. job market remains resilient in the face of economic weakness overseas and turmoil in financial markets.

Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, and economists expect it will help bolster US growth this year, even as manufacturing and exports likely remain weak.