The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits ticked higher last week, suggesting the labour market was largely stable even though job creation is weakening and it is taking laid-off workers longer to find new jobs. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 226,000 for the week ended August 2, the Labour Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 221,000 claims for the latest week. The labour market has slowed, with government data last week showing far fewer jobs were created in July than economists had expected as uncertainty over President Donald Trump‘s tariffs left businesses wary of adding workers.