US initial jobless claims increase by 19,0000

New unemployment claims rose to 200,000 in the seven days ended 30 April, according to the Department of Labor, up from a revised print of 181,000 in the previous week for the highest reading since mid-February.

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, initial claims slipped 7,164 week-on-week to 196,962, with marked declines in California and Ohio.

The four-week moving average, which aims to strip out week-to-week volatility, came to 1.41m - down 3,250 from the previous week's revised print.