US initial jobless claims up by 4,000, in line with forecasts

By Mucahithan Avcioglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose by 4,000 last week to 223,000, according to Labor Department data released on Thursday.

The figure matched the market forecast of 223,000 and was up from the previous week's unrevised level of 219,000.

The four-week moving average was 223,000 – unchanged from the previous week's level.

In March, the US economy added 228,000 jobs, much higher than forecasts of 137,000.

The unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 4.2% in March from 4.1% the previous month.