US initial jobless claims rise by 4,000

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose 4,000 last week to 232,000, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

The figure came in line with market estimates, while the previous week's reading was revised up by 1,000 from 227,000 to 228,000.

The four-week moving average was 236,000 – a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average.

The US economy added 114,000 jobs in July, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.3% from 4.1% in June.