US initial jobless claims rise by 12,000

ISTANBUL

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose by 12,000 last week to 218,000, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

The figure was higher than market estimates of 210,000, while the previous week's reading was revised up from 205,000 to 206,000.

The four-week moving average was 212,000, a decrease of 250 from the previous week's revised average.

The US economy added 199,000 jobs in November, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.7% from 3.9% in October.