WASHINGTON—The number of Americans claiming new unemployment benefits rose last week from the lowest level since 1969 but remained near multidecade lows, offering evidence of the labor market’s strength.
Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs across the U.S., increased by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 217,000 in the week ended July 21, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected 215,000 new claims last week.
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