WASHINGTON — The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits rose modestly last week, a sign that employers still retaining workers despite economic uncertainty related to U.S. trade policy.

What You Need To Know • The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits rose modestly last week, a sign that employers still retaining workers despite economic uncertainty related to U.S. trade policy • The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending Aug. 2 rose by 7,000 to 226,000, slightly more than the 219,000 new applications analysts forecast • The report is the first government labor market data release since Friday's grim July jobs report sent financial markets spiraling downward, spurring President Donald Trump to fire the head of the agency that ta

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