Jobless Claims in U.S. Increased Last Week to a Six-Month High

The number of applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased last week to a six-month high, indicating tempered progress in the labor market.

Initial jobless claims climbed by 10,000 to 293,000 in the week ended Jan. 16, a report from the Labor Department showed on Thursday. Last week coincided with the period that the government surveys businesses and households to calculate payrolls and the jobless rate for January.