First-time applications increased by 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted level of 242,000 in the week ending April 29.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected 240,000 claims in the most recent week.
Jobless claims remained at a maximum this year from a range of 194,000-247,000, reflecting the increase in layoffs when the cumulative effect of the US Federal Reserve’s fastest rate hike since the 1980s began to be felt in sectors beyond housing and technology.
Despite this, the labor market remained strong.
A government report on Tuesday said there were 1.6 jobs available for every unemployed person in March, well above a range of 1.0-1.2 jobs that economists say is consistent with a labor market that does not contribute significantly to inflation.
The US Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate another 25 basis points to a range of 5% to 5.25% on Wednesday, and signaled it was likely to halt the series of increases, although it remained hawkish.
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