Stocks fell in morning trading Thursday and bond yields hit a low for the year after disappointing reports about the U.S. jobs market and economic growth.

The Labor Department said more people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the first increase in three weeks. The number of people seeking benefits rose by 10,000 to 424,000, more than analysts were expecting.

Applications are above the 375,000 level that indicates sustainable job growth. Applications peaked at 659,000 during the recession. Employers stepped up hiring this spring, but some economists worry that rising applications indicate a slowdown in hiring.

The Commerce Department said the economy grew at a sluggish 1.8 percent in the January-March quarter as surging gasoline prices and sharp cutbacks in government spending overshadowed strong corporate earnings. Consumer spending grew at just half the rate of the previous quarter, and less than previously estimated. A surge in imports widened the U.S. trade deficit.

In early trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 68 points, or 0.6 percent, to 12,326. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 5, or 0.4 percent, to 1,315. The Nasdaq composite dropped 4, or 0.1 percent, to 2,759.

The weak economic news drew investors toward safer assets, pushing the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to 3.08 percent, its lowest level this year. It was trading at 3.15 percent shortly before the economic reports came out. Bond yields fall when their prices rise.