First-time claims for US unemployment benefits jumped unexpectedly in the week ended June 6, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday.
The report said initial jobless claims rose to 229,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 225,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to dip to 219,000.
The unexpected climb meant that jobless claims reached their highest level since hitting 230,000 in the week ended February 7.
The Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average also rose to 219,000, an increase of 4,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 214,750.
