The total of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, even though the underlying trend continued to point to sustained labour market strength.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 266,000 for the week ended July 23, the U.S. Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 1,000 fewer applications received than previously reported.
Economists forecast initial claims rising to 260,000 last week. Claims have now been below 300,000, a threshold associated with a healthy labour market, for 73 consecutive weeks, the longest stretch since 1973.
A department analyst said there were no special factors influencing last week's claims data and only claims for Hawaii and Puerto Rico had been estimated.
The four-week moving average of claims, considered a better measure of labour market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 1,000 to 256,500 last week, the lowest level since April.
