U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Rise Slightly More Than Expected

(RTTNews) - A report released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits rose by slightly more than expected in the week ended May 23rd.

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims climbed to 215,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised level of 210,000.

Economists had expected jobless claims to rise to 213,000 from the 209,000 originally reported for the previous week.

The report said the less volatile four-week moving average also rose to 209,000, an increase of 6,250 from the previous week's revised average of 202,750.