The number of Americans lining up to claim state unemployment insurance rose slightly last week, the US government has said in a report also containing moderately good news about the jobs market.
The Labour Department said initial jobless claims rose 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 390,000 for the week ended June 8th, remaining below the key 400,000 level analysts consider to be indicative of a recession in the jobs market. The number almost matched analysts' expectations of 391,000.
"Jobless claims data is indicative of very modest job growth because typically anything under 400,000 indicates slight increases in employment but not indicating anything dramatic," said Mr Rick Egleton, deputy chief economist, at the Bank of Montreal/Harris Bank.
The 4-week moving average of initial jobless claims, considered more reliable because it irons out weekly fluctuations, actually fell by 8,750 to 402,500, the lowest level in almost three months.
Another positive sign for the June job picture was the continuing claims number - those collecting benefits for more than a week - which dropped 18,000 in the week ending June 1st to 3.773 million.