U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Rise More Than Expected

(RTTNews) - A day ahead of the release of the more closely watched monthly jobs report, the Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits rose by more than expected in the week ended August 30th.

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims climbed to 237,000, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 229,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to inch up to 230,000.

The report said the less volatile four-week moving average also crept up to 231,000, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 228,500.