The number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week rose less than expected, according to official data released on Thursday.
The number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending August 19 increased by 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 234,000 the Labor Department said. Analysts had expected claims to rise to 238,000 last week.
Data for the prior week was unrevised.
The four-week moving average was 237,750, down 2,750 from the previous week. The monthly average is seen as a more accurate gauge of labor trends because it reduces volatility in the week-to-week data.
