US jobless claims rise

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, but remained below levels associated with a healthy labour market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 284,000 for the week ended January 9, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The prior week's claims were unrevised. Still, it was the 45th consecutive week that claims remained below the 300,000 mark, which is associated with strong labour market conditions.