A new report from the Labor department said that claims for unemployment benefits rose last week. Economists had been predicting a fall in claims, rather than a raise. The change comes after the jobs report for March showed a lower than expected increase in employment. Reports also said that exports rose slightly, and that inflation remained very low, with gas prices dropping slightly. Around 7 million people claimed unemployment benefits in March.
See "Claims for Jobless Benefits Rise", The New York Times, April 11, 2012