US initial jobless claims rise by 4,000, in line with estimates

ISTANBUL

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose by 4,000 last week to 230,000, according to Labor Department figures released on Thursday.

The figure came in line with market estimates.

The previous week's figure was revised up by 1,000, from 225,000 to 226,000.

The four-week moving average was 230,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average.

In November, the US economy added 263,000 jobs, exceeding the market expectation of a 200,000 gain, while the unemployment rate stood steady at 3.7%, according to latest Labor Department figures.