The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased moderately last week, suggesting that the labor market continued to steadily cool. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 9,

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 224,000 for the week ended November 30, the Labor Department said on Thursday ().

Initial jobless claims in the U.S. climbed to 224,000 in the week ended on Nov. 30, a small increase from the revised total of 215,000 in the prior week. Economists had forecast a consensus figure of 215,000.