A now hiring sign is displayed in the window of a Brooklyn business on October 5, 2018 in New York, United States.

The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week, but the trend continued to point to a strong labor market.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 220,000 for the week ended Aug. 10, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Data for the prior week was revised to show 2,000 more applications received than previously reported.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims would rise 214,000 in the latest week. The Labor Department said there were no states estimated last week.

The four-week moving average of initial claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, edged up 1,000 to 213,750 last week.