Washington: The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits rose by 4,000 last week, reaching a total of 212,000, as reported by the US Labor Department on Thursday.

According to Anadolu Agency, market analysts had anticipated an increase to 217,000, up from the previous week's revised figure of 208,000. Despite the rise, the actual numbers came in below expectations.

The four-week moving average, a measure that smooths out volatility in the weekly figures, increased by 750 to 220,250 from the prior week's revised average of 219,500. This trend provides a broader view of the unemployment claims landscape over a month.

In a related note, the US economy added 130,000 jobs in January, surpassing forecasts and showing an increase from 48,000 in the prior month. Additionally, the unemployment rate saw a decrease, dropping to 4.3% from December's 4.4%.