U.S. initial jobless claims rose by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 197,000 in the week ending July 25, below economists' forecast of 200,000, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. The increase partly offset the prior week's fall to the lowest level since 1969; July claims are often volatile because automakers schedule annual plant shutdowns—this year GM kept most assembly lines running and Ford canceled traditional summer stoppages, which may have distorted seasonal-adjustment models. Economi

U.S. initial jobless claims rose by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 197,000 in the week ending July 25, below economists' forecast of 200,000, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. The increase partly offset the prior week's fall to the lowest level since 1969; July claims are often volatile because automakers schedule annual plant shutdowns—this year GM kept most assembly lines running and Ford canceled traditional summer stoppages, which may have distorted seasonal-adjustment models. Economists said the U.S. labor market remains in a "slowing hires, slowing layoffs" state.