US initial jobless claims rise by 7,000

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose by 7,000 to 207,000 last week, the US Labor Department said on Thursday.

Analysts expected 197,000 claims for the week ending Dec. 18. The previous week's figure was revised upward from 198,000 to 200,000.

The figure is the 13th consecutive week below 300,000.

The unemployment rate in the world's largest economy fell to 4.2% in November, down from 4.6% in October, according to the Labor Department.

The US economy, however, added 210,000 jobs in November, much lower than estimates.