The count of Americans seeking unemployment benefits jumped by 11,000 to 444,000 for the week ended January 9, indicating that the nation's labour market continues to remain shaky.
In the previous week, the number of such individuals stood at 433,000, according to the US Labor Department.
"The four-week moving average was 440,750, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised average of 449,750," it said in a statement today.
The unemployment rate in the country stood at ten per cent in December last year even though 85,000 people turned jobless during that period.
However, those who are receiving unemployment benefits from the government dropped by 211,000 for the week ended January 2.
"The advance number for the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending January 2 was 4,596,000, a decrease of 211,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,807,000," the statement noted.
