The number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the US rose for the first time last week. Until now, this figure had been hovering near historic lows. According to data released by the US Department of Labor on Thursday, the number of first-time jobless claims increased by 9,000 to 209,000 in the week ending August 8. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg estimated the median value of 202,000 people. The number of people continuing to claim unemployment benefits fell to 1.78 million the week before. This rise in the number of applicants may reflect data fluctuations common during the summer. In this period, seasonal employment patterns and holiday schedules tend to have an impact on the data. As a result, economists may need to look at more than a week's data before re-evaluating recent labor-market stability. An indicator used to smooth short-term fluctuations — the four-week moving average of first-time jobless claims remained unchanged at 19.9,000 last week.

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the US rose for the first time last week. Until now, this figure had been hovering near historic lows. According to data released by the US Department of Labor on Thursday, the number of first-time jobless claims increased by 9,000 to 209,000 in the week ending August 8. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg estimated the median value of 202,000 people. The number of people continuing to claim unemployment benefits fell to 1.78 million the week before. This rise in the number of applicants may reflect data fluctuations common during the summer. In this period, seasonal employment patterns and holiday schedules tend to have an impact on the data. As a result, economists may need to look at more than a week's data before re-evaluating recent labor-market stability. An indicator used to smooth short-term fluctuations — the four-week moving average of first-time jobless claims remained unchanged at 19.9,000 last week.