US initial jobless claims up 1,000 last week

ISTANBUL

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose 1,000 last week to 200,000, according to the US Labor Department data released Thursday.

Markets had expected the figure to rise to 209,000 from the previous week's downwardly revised 199,000.

The four-week moving average hit the lowest figure since January 2024, standing at 201,500 – down of 3,759 from the previous week's 205,250.

The unemployment rate was down to 4.4% in December, from 4.5% in November, below expectations.