Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose in number to near a three-month high last week, but remained below a level associated with a strong labour market.
Figures released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department show initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 7,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 265,000 for the week ended Oct. 29, the highest level since early August.
It was the 87th consecutive week that claims remained below 300,000, a level associated with a healthy labour market. That is the longest stretch since 1970, when the labour market stateside was much smaller.
Economists had forecast first-time applications for U.S. jobless benefits would be unchanged at 258,000 in the latest week.
