Investing.com - The number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week rose less than expected, bolstering optimism over the American economy with a reading consistent with a firming labor market, official data showed on Thursday.
In a report, the U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending April 23 decreased by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 257,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 248,000.
Analysts had expected jobless claims to rise by 12,000 to 260,000 last week.
First-time jobless claims have held below the 300,000-level for 59 consecutive weeks, which is usually associated with a firming labor market.