First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly dipped in the week ended July 15th, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday.
The report said initial jobless claims slipped to 228,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 237,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to inch up to 242,000.
The Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average also edged down to 237,500, a decrease of 9,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 246,750.
