US initial jobless claims rise by 25,000

ISTANBUL

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose by 25,000 last week to 214,000, according to Labor Department data released on Thursday.

The figure came in much higher than market estimates of 200,000.

The previous week's reading was revised up by only 2,000 from 187,000 to 189,000 when it recorded the lowest level since Sept. 24, 2022.

The four-week moving average was 202,250, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average.

The US economy added 216,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.7%.