PUBLIC MARKS from jasontromm with tags data & eference

First-time applications for U.S. unemployment benefits edged higher by 4,000 to 277,000 in the week ending Feb. 4, the Labor Department said Thursday. "Claims are a good leading indicator of the unemployment rate; these data suggest the rate will be nudging 4% by mid-summer," said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist for High Frequency Economics.