ANKARA
Initial claims for unemployment benefits in the U.S. rose by 10,000 for the week ending May 16 to 274,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday.
The number was close to the analyst consensus forecast of 271,000.
The four-week moving average of claims fell by 5,500 last week to 266,250, the lowest level since April 2000.
Non-farm employment rose 223,000 in April, and the unemployment rate slipped to a near seven-year low of 5.4 percent. the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a separate report on May 8.
The Federal Reserve has linked an improvement in employment data as a factor in an eventual decision to raise interest rates. On Wednesday, a report from the Fed showed that an interest rate hike is unlikely in June.
