US initial jobless claims rise by 2,000

ISTANBUL

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose by 2,000 last week to 204,000, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

The figure was lower than market estimates of 215,000, while the previous week's reading was revised up by 1,000 from 201,000 to 202,000.

The four-week moving average was 211,000, a decrease of 6,250 from the previous week's revised average.

The US economy added 187,000 jobs in August, but the unemployment rate jumped to 3.8% from 3.5% in July.