Initial Jobless Claims Climb To 352,000

Claims climbed to 352,000 from 348,000 a week ago.

Economists were looking for a reading of 350,000.

While disappointing, there was nothing too worrisome about the report.

Some may actually be encouraged by the fact that claims are increasingly being impacted by the sequester. In other words, people are glad things aren't any worse.

U.S. stock market futures are up slightly.

"The claims series has proven to be an excellent directional indicator for equities," said Jim O'Sullivan of High Frequency Economics.

Here's a chart we've seen frequently: