U.S. initial jobless claims jump to half-year high

The number of Americans initially applying for unemployment aid jump to 275,000, the highest level in six months, while the job market kept stable as a whole.

In the week ending December 17, the advance figure of seasonally adjusted initial claims for jobless benefits was 275,000, an increase of 21,000 from the unrevised level of the previous week, said the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday.

The four-week moving average, which helps smooth out week-to-week volatility increased 6,000 from the previous week's unrevised average to 263,750.

This marks 94 consecutive weeks of initial claims below 300,000, a benchmark for real job growth or loss in the economy, the longest streak since 1970, said the Labor Department.

Meanwhile, the advance figure of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 10 rose 15,000 from the previous week to 2,036,000.

U.S. Federal Reserve Janet Yellen said on Monday that after years of a slow economic recovery, the United States are entering the strongest job market in nearly a decade.

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 178,000 in November, and the jobless rate went down from October's 4.9 percent to 4.6 percent, the lowest level since August, 2007, said the Labor Department earlier this month. Enditem