Weekly US jobless claims edge up

(Sharecast News) - Jobless claims in the U.S. rose slightly during over the preceding week but continued to point to a tight jobs market. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in seasonally adjusted terms, initial jobless claims rose by 6,000 over the week ending on 29 July to reach 227,000.

Economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast 227,000.

Meanwhile, the four-week moving average, which aims to smooth out the volatility in the figures from one week to the next retreated by 5,500 to reach 228,250.

Secondary unemployment claims, which are those not being filed for the first time and referencing the week ending on 22 July, rose by 21,000 to 1.7m.

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