WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week rose by 12,000 to 293,000, but initial claims continue to hover near an eight-year bottom amid a very low rate of layoffs, new government data showed. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected claims to rise to a seasonally adjusted 300,000 in the week ended Sept. 20. The average of new claims over the past month, meanwhile, fell by 1,250 to 298,500, the Labor Department said Thursday. The monthly figure offers a better look at underlying trends in the jobs market. Also, the government said continuing claims increased by 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 2.44 million in the week ended Sept 13. Continuing claims, released with a one-week lag, reflect the number of people already receiving benefits. Initial claims from two weeks ago were little changed at 281,000.