NEW YORK - U.S. stocks are higher in morning trading, despite an increase in the number of new jobless claims.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that applications for unemployment benefits applications rose 6,000 last week, more than economists had forecast. The four-week average also rose for the third straight week to 382,000.

A measure of U.S. consumer prices fell in May by the most since December 2008 as gas costs dropped sharply. Outside food and energy, prices rose modestly.

The U.S. current account trade deficit widened in the first three months to the largest imbalance since late 2008, reflecting a big increase in imports in oil, cars and machinery and a drop in U.S. earnings on overseas investments.