U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Inch Up More Than Expected

(RTTNews) - After reporting a rebound by first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits in the previous week, the Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing initial jobless claims saw further upside in the week ended January 18th.

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims rose to 223,000, an increase of 6,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 217,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to inch up to 220,000.

With the increase, jobless claims continued to regain ground after hitting a nearly eleven-month low in the week ended January 4th.