US initial jobless claims rise 13,000 last week, surpassing expectations

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose 13,000 last week to 225,000, according to US Labor Department data released on Thursday.

The figure exceeded market expectations of 214,000 for last week, following the previous week's downwardly revised 212,000.

The four-week moving average was 214,750, up 6,500 from the previous week's downwardly revised 208,250.

The US economy added 115,000 jobs in April, a figure much higher than expectations of a 65,000 gain.

The unemployment rate was at 4.3% in April, unchanged from March.