US initial jobless claims rise by 5,000

ISTANBUL

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose by 5,000 last week to 217,000, 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 by 2,000 from 210,000 to 212,000.

The four-week moving average was 210,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average.

The US economy added 336,000 jobs in September, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.8%.