WASHINGTON: The United States saw its second consecutive weekly increase in new claims for unemployment benefits, the Labor Department said on Thursday, with 1.43 million filed.

The data for the week ended July 25 marked an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's upwardly revised level, while the insured unemployment rate rose to 11.6 percent -- reflecting the impact of the surge in COVID-19 cases that prompted renewed lockdown measures.