The U.S. Labor Department reports on the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week. The report will be released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on Thursday. MODEST INCREASE: Economists forecast that weekly applications rose to 305,000, according to a survey by FactSet. That's up slightly from 302,000 in the prior week. The number of people seeking benefits remains close to the lowest level in seven years, a period shortly before the start of the recession. Applications are a proxy for layoffs. When employers hold onto their workers, it's a sign of potential income gains, increased hiring and confidence ... (full story)