US jobless claims rise more than expected

The number of first-time claims for US jobless benefits rose to 239,000 in the week ending April 8, beating expectations.

The US Department of Labor has released data on weekly jobless claims.

Consequently, the number of people applying for unemployment benefits for the first time in the country increased by 11,000 to 239,000 in the week ending April 8 compared to the previous week.

HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE JANUARY 15

Unemployment benefits, which beat market expectations and reached the highest level since January 15, were expected to materialize at the 232,000 level in this period.

The data of the previous week on unemployment benefits was registered at 228 thousand.

As of last week, the 4-week average jobless claims increased by 2,250 people compared to the previous week and reached 240,000, the highest level since November 20, 2021.

Ongoing jobless claims, on the other hand, decreased by 13,000 in the week ending April 1 to 1,810,000. (AA)