The number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose only slightly last week with the labor market remaining strong despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to cool the economy and hiring.
Applications for unemployment aid for the week ending Dec. 24 climbed 9,000 to 225,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week moving average of applications, which smooths out some of the week-to-week swings, slipped just 250 to 221,000.
