US initial jobless claims increase by 19,000 last week

ANKARA

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims last week rose by 19,000 to 200,000, the US Labor Department announced on Thursday.

The market estimate for initial jobless claims was 182,000.

The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 180,000 to 181,000, the department said in a statement.

The four-week moving average was 188,000, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's revised average.

The US economy generated 431,000 jobs in March, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.6%, according to the latest figures.