[naviga:h3]Applications rise for jobless benefits[/naviga:h3]

WASHINGTON — More Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, the second straight week of increases.

The Labor Department says applications for weekly unemployment aid rose 13,000 to 248,000. The four-week average, a less volatile figure, rose 2,500 to 238,000.

Applications are a close indication of layoffs. They have been below 300,000, a historically low figure, for 117 weeks. That’s the longest streak since 1970.

The low figures add to evidence companies are holding onto workers and hiring at a steady pace. Americans are spending more, factories have cranked up output and home sales are strong, boosting the economy after it barely expanded in the first three months of the year.

[naviga:h3]McDonald’s touting delivery service[/naviga:h3]

CHICAGO — McDonald’s said delivery through UberEats will be available in about 1 in 4 of its U.S. locations by the end of June, or about 3,500 restaurants in total.

The world’s largest burger chain, headquartered in suburban Chicago, currently offers delivery via UberEats from more than 2,000 restaurants nationwide, in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta.

[naviga:h3]Uber reports loss; revenues growing[/naviga:h3]

HONG KONG — Ride-hailing giant Uber has reported another multimillion dollar loss even as its revenues grow.

The San Francisco-based company said today that its losses in the first quarter narrowed to $708 million from $991 million in the previous three-month period.

Uber said it had $3.4 billion in revenue for the period, 18 percent higher than the final three months of last year.

The company said in a statement “the narrowing of our losses in the first quarter puts us on a good trajectory towards profitability.”