WASHINGTON — More people sought unemployment benefits last week, pushing the number of applicants to the highest level in two months.

The Labor Department said today that weekly unemployment benefit applications jumped 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 380,000. The previous week’s figures were also revised higher. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose to 368,500.

After steadily declining since last fall, applications have leveled off in recent weeks. The four-week average is essentially unchanged over the past two months.

When applications fall below 375,000, it generally suggests that hiring will be strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.

The figures come after a disappointing employment report last week that showed that employers added only 120,000 jobs in March, half the average pace in the preceding three months. But many economists downplayed the weak March figures, noting that a warmer winter may have led to some earlier hiring in January and February.

The economy has added an average of 212,000 jobs per month in the January-March quarter, well ahead of last year’s pace. And the unemployment rate has fallen from 9.1 percent in August to 8.2 percent in March. One factor is that some people have given up looking for work. People who are out of work but not looking for jobs aren’t counted as unemployed.

Economists note that applications for unemployment aid are at a much lower level than they were last year, suggesting that March’s weak numbers might have been a temporary lull.