Official figures show that new claims for US unemployment insurance benefits surged last week, in a fresh sign that a recovery in the struggling US labour market is losing steam.
Initial jobless claims rose to a seasonally adjusted 474,000 in the week ending April 30, a 10% increase from the previous week, the Labor Department reported.
The weekly indicator has increased in three of the four weeks in April, and the latest rise surprised most analysts who had forecast a decline to 400,000 claims.
The four-week moving average, which helps to smooth volatility, also rose: to 431,250 claims, an increase of 22,250. In the previous week, the average topped the 400,000 mark for the first time in eight consecutive weeks.
The jobless claims data come on the eve of the government's closely watched April employment report, expected to show that 185,000 jobs were created last month.
