More Americans filed unemployment claims last week, but the labor market remains healthy and there are still relatively few layoffs.

U.S. applications for jobless benefits rose by 11,000 to 219,000 for the week ending February 1, the Labor Department said Thursday. Analysts were projecting only 213,000 new applications.

Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered representative of layoffs.

The four-week average, which softens some of the weekly volatility, rose by 4,000 to 216,750.

The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of January 25 climbed to 1.89 million, an increase of 36,000 from the previous week.

More Americans filed unemployment claims last week, but the labor market remains healthy and there are still relatively few layoffs.{ai:summary}<p>Unemployment claims in the U.S. rose by 11,000 to 219,000 for the week ending February 1, surpassing analysts' expectations. Despite this increase, the labor market remains robust with few layoffs reported.</p><p>The four-week average of claims also increased by 4,000 to 216,750, while the total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits rose to 1.89 million, up by 36,000 from the previous week. #economy</p>

U.S. applications for jobless benefits rose to 219,000 last week, but layoffs remain relatively low

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