The number of Americans seeking jobless benefits from the state surged to 5,84,000, reflecting the continuing turbulence in the country's labour market.
For the week ended July 25, the count of initial claims for unemployment benefits jumped by 25,000, the US Labour Department said today.
"In the week ending July 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 584,000, an increase of 25,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 559,000," the Labour Department said in a statement.
The four-week moving average was 559,000, a decrease of 8,250 from the previous week's revised average of 567,250.
Grappling with one of the worst financial crisis in decades, the unemployment rate in the US touched 9.5 per cent in June and is expected to rise, as companies are resorting to job cuts as part of cost saving measures.
However, the advance number for insured unemployment for the week ended July 18 stood at 6,197,000, a decrease of 54,000 from the preceding week.
"The four-week moving average was 6,416,250, a decrease of 131,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 6,548,000," the statement said.
The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday said that all districts in the country have reported that labour markets remain slack, with most sectors either reducing jobs or holding them steady.
"The weakness of labour markets has virtually eliminated upward wage pressure, and wages and compensation are steady or falling in most districts," the Federal Reserve noted in its latest Beige Book, which provides a snapshot of economic activities nationwide.
