Government data released Thursday show initial claims for U.S. unemployment-insurance benefits inched higher in the latest week but continued to signal a healthy labour market south of the border.
The U.S. Labor Department revealed that the number of people who applied for U.S. unemployment-insurance benefits rose by 3,000 to 244,000 in the week that ended August 5.
Economists had expected Washington to report that initial claims for regular state unemployment-insurance benefits rose 2,000 to 242,000.
The average of new claims over the past month, which gives a more stable picture of layoff trends, slipped by 1,000 to 241,000.
Layoffs nationwide remain extremely low. Applications for unemployment benefits have registered 250,000 or less for the last 10 weeks.
The government said continuing claims fell by 16,000 to 1.95 million in the week that ended July 29.
The four-week average of continuing claims, reflecting the number of people already receiving benefits, rose 500 to 1.97 million.
