US jobless claims jumped to 293,000 (a 10,000 increase) in the week ended Jan. 16, the Labor Department said on Thursday, the highest level since last July.
Economists had expected claims to fall to 277,000, the Wall Street Journal reports. Despite the increase, the number remains low by historical standards—and well below the 300,000 mark associated with a robust job market.
Meanwhile, employers added 292,000 jobs in December, with the unemployment rate steady at 5%, the lowest since the recession began in late 2007. [WSJ]
