US jobless claims rise, but firming labour market trend intact

WASHINGTON: The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, but that probably does not signal a material shift in labour market conditions as claims remain near their pre-recession levels.

The period included the Labor Day holiday and claims tend to be volatile around holidays. A Labor Department analyst said there were no special factors influencing the state level data. The four-week average of claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, edged up 750 to 304,000, not far from pre-recession levels and consistent with strengthening labour market conditions.