Weekly jobless claims unchanged at 212,000
Continuing claims rise 2,000 to 1.812 million

WASHINGTON, April 18 Reuters The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits was unchanged at a low level last week, pointing to continued labor market strength.

Labor market resilience, which is driving the economy, together with elevated inflation have led financial markets and some economists to expect that the Federal Reserve could delay cutting interest rates until September. A few economists doubt that the U.S. central bank will lower borrowing costs this year.

Overall, layoffs remain low. We expect a continuation of the current trend, with a further adjustment in the labor market coming from a moderation in hiring rather than a surge in firings, said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits were unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 212,000 for the week ended April 13, the U.S. Labor Department said on Thursday.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 215,000 claims in the latest week. Claims have been bouncing around in a 194,000225,000 range this year.

Unadjusted claims declined 6,756 to 208,509 last week. Filings in California jumped by 3,063. There were also notable increases in claims in Connecticut, Georgia and Oregon.

These were more than offset by a decline of 4,551 in filings in New Jersey. Claims in the state had jumped in the prior week, a move that was blamed on…