(Reuters) - Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected to 219,000 in the latest week from a revised 211,000 the previous week, the U.S. Labor Department said on Thursday.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims would rise to 212,000.
The four-week moving average of initial claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, rose to 209,750.
Thursday's claims report also showed the number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid declined to 1.724 million.