U.S. Claims for Unemployment Benefits Rise to Four-Month High

Filings for U.S. unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest level since late June, potentially reflecting holiday-related volatility in what otherwise has been a strong labor market.

Jobless claims increased by 3,000 to 224,000 in the week ended Nov. 17, Labor Department figures showed Wednesday. That compares with the 215,000 median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists and follows an upwardly revised 221,000 in the prior week. The four-week average, a less-volatile measure, rose to 218,500.