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U.S. initial jobless claims rise to 259,000

Xinhua, January 27, 2017 Adjust font size:

The number of Americans initially applying for unemployment aid rose to 259,000, while the job market kept stable.

In the week ending Jan. 21, the advance figure of seasonally adjusted initial claims for jobless benefits was 259,000, an increase of 22,000 from the revised level of the previous week, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday.

The four-week moving average, which helps smooth out week-to-week volatility decreased 2,000 from the previous week's revised average to 245,500.

This is the lowest level for this average since Nov. 3, 1973 when it was 244,000, said the Labor Department.

Meanwhile, the advance figure of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Jan. 14 rose 41,000 from the previous week to 2,100,000.

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 156,000 in December, and the jobless rate went up from November's 4.6 percent to 4.7 percent, said the Labor Department earlier this month. Endit