Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly held in lower numbers last week, pointing to further momentum in the labour market stateside after job growth surged in June.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits were unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 254,000 for the week ended July 9, the U.S. Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims are near the 43-year low of 248,000 touched in mid-April.
Economists had forecast initial claims rising to 265,000 in the latest week. Claims have now been below 300,000, a threshold associated with a healthy labour market, for 71 consecutive weeks, the longest stretch since 1973 and the Nixon Administration.
The labour market is on a strong footing, with non-farm payrolls increasing by a robust 287,000 jobs in June, which experts figure should underpin economic growth for the rest of the year.
A department analyst said there were no special factors influencing last week's claims data and no states had been estimated.
