Investing.com - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose less than expected in the past week.
Initial jobless claims rose by 3,000 from the previous week to 254,000, the Labor Department said.
The previous week's figure was revised to 251,000 from an initial reading of 252,000.
Economists had expected jobless claims to rise by 8,000 to 260,000.
The figures point to sustained strength in the labor market.