US jobless claims rise more than expected
WASHINGTON: The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, suggesting that the claims processing disrupted by recent hurricanes has begun to improve.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 239,000 for the week ended Nov 4, the Labor Department said yesterday.
Claims had fallen to 229,000 in the prior week, near a 44½-year low, and remain well below the 300,000 level generally regarded as signalling a healthy labour market.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims rising to 231,000 in the latest week. They have declined from an almost three-year high of 298,000 hit at the start of September in the aftermath of hurricanes that ravaged parts of Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
BACKLOGGED
The Labor Department noted that it is now processing backlogged claims in Puerto Rico, though its operations in the Virgin Islands remain severely disrupted.
US Treasury yields held near session highs after the data, while the dollar trimmed losses.
US stock index futures were slightly lower, a day after Wall Street closed at a record high.
Last week marked the 139th straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, when the labour market was smaller.
The four-week moving average of initial claims, considered a better measure of labour market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 1,250 to 231,250 last week, the lowest level since March 31, 1973.
That suggests ongoing job growth in an economy many regard as near full employment, with the jobless rate at a 17-year low of 4.1 per cent. - REUTERS
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