NEW YORK: The dollar rose on Thursday, bouncing back from recent weakness after US data showed fewer Americans sought jobless benefits last week. The dollar index briefly pared gains before gaining ground following the claims data, which also showed 31.3 million people were receiving unemployment checks in mid-July, suggesting the US labour market was stalling.

The dollar index, which measures the dollar against a basket of currencies, was last up 0.3% at 93.057. The index lost 4% in July. The euro was down 0.1% at $1.1844 against the dollar after reaching a two-year high of $1.1916. Analysts worried that programs such as unemployment benefits are covering up underlying damage to the economy. The Aussie dollar was last up 0.4% at $0.7221 against the US dollar.