CALDEIRÃO DE BOLSA

U.S. Economy Grew Less Than Forecast Last Quarter (Update1)

By Bob Willis

July 31 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. economy expanded less than forecast in the second quarter as the drag from housing and rising unemployment blunted the impact of federal tax rebates.

U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Rise to Five-Year High (Update2)

By Shobhana Chandra and Courtney Schlisserman

July 31 (Bloomberg) -- The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, reaching the highest level in more than five years.

Initial jobless claims increased by 44,000 to 448,000 in the week ended July 26, from a revised 404,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Economists in a Bloomberg survey had forecast a drop in claims. The total number of people on benefit rolls rose to the most since December 2003.