Without seasonal adjustment, claims were 389,100 in the week, up 22,000 from the preceding week, with the year-earlier level at 356,200, the department's report showed.

In January, load factors for the overall industry actually edged above year-earlier levels.

Crop prices over all dropped 3 percent from May and averaged 5.8 percent below the year-earlier level.

By contrast, while overall worldwide supplies have not kept pace with rising demand, current imports are only a bit lower than year-earlier levels.

The unit's profit was double the year-earlier level.

The last time prices fell from their year-earlier level was in April 1995.

In October alone, the monthly survey fell 30 points from year-earlier levels.

Despite the increase, trade association officials said the pace of new orders remained disappointing, particularly when compared with year-earlier levels.

Trade association officials said that the pace of new orders was disappointing, particularly when compared with the year-earlier level.

"Analysts had anticipated that profits for the quarter would increase 11.6 percent over year-earlier levels," she said.