The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased moderately last week, suggesting that the labor market continued to steadily cool.Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 9,

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 216,000 claims for the latest week. Claims have retreated from the near 1-1/2-year high seen in early October, which was the result of hurricanes and strikes at Boeing BA.N and another aerospace company.

Applications for US unemployment benefits rose to the highest in a month during a week that included the Thanksgiving holiday.