US stock markets lower Thursday

New York stock markets fell Thursday, after a jump in weekly first-time jobless benefits claims, erasing last week's impressive figures. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims rose by 46,000 to 388,000 a week after a drop of 30,000 claims put the weekly number at a 56-month low. A rebound was expected, but not one that was quite so dramatic. In early afternoon trading, the Dow Jones industrial average shed 7.62 points, or 0.06 percent, to 13,549.38. The Nasdaq composite index was down 30.99, or 1 percent, to 3,073.14. The Standard and Poor's 500 index lost 2.57 points, or 0.18 percent, to 1,458.34. The benchmark 10-year treasury note rose 1/32 to yield 1.821 percent. The euro fell to $1.3096 from Wednesday's $1.312. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 79.18 yen from 78.97 yen. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index added 2 percent, 176.31 points, to 8,982.86. In London, the FTSE 100 index gained 0.1 percent, 6.14, to 5,917.05.