The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US rose by 10,000 from the from the count in previous week, which tied for the lowest since 1969, to 200,000 in the last week of April. It was below market expectations of 205,000 to remain firmly under the recent and historical average. Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are a proxy for outstanding unemployment in the US, fell by 10,000 to 1,766,000 on the week ending April 25th, the lowest in over two years and contrasting with expectations of an increase to 1,800,000. The data consolidated recent signals of a robust labor market in the US despite momentary signs of stress earlier in the year and repeated headlines indicating job cuts by major companies. Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which have been under scrutiny due to government shutdowns, fell by 8 claims to 438.