Rise in U.S. jobless claims spurs labor market worries

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose to a six-month high last week, suggesting some loss of momentum in the labor market amid a sharp economic slowdown and major stock market selloff. Another report on Thursday showed factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region improved in January as shipments rebounded, but still contracted for a fifth straight month. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 10,000 to a seasonally