U.S. jobless claims unchanged at 351,000

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) 
Jobless claims in the U.S. were unchanged last week at a seasonally adjusted 351,000, the Labor Department said Thursday
Economists surveyed by MarketWatch estimated claims would total 353,000
Claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 351,000 from 348,000
The four-week average of claims, meanwhile, fell by 7,000 to 359,000, the lowest level since March 2008
The monthly average smoothes out seasonal quirks and provides a more accurate view of labor-market trends
Continuing claims decreased by 52,000 to a seasonally adjusted 3.39 million in the week ended Feb. 11
Continuing claims are reported with a one-week lag
About 7.5 million people received some kind of state or federal benefit in the week ended Feb. 4, down 178,619 from the prior week
Total claims are reported with a two-week lag and are not seasonally adjusted.