In the US, the number of people applying for unemployment benefits increased last week. The Labor Department reported that filings for jobless aid rose by 1,000 to 199,000 in the week ending August 1. This rise in unemployment benefits is still considered to be within a historically healthy range.

Weekly filings are seen as an indicator of the health of the US job market and the level of layoffs. Further details on the job market and potential implications for interest rates are available from the Labor Department's report, which can be found through sources like KPRC 2 and Click2Houston.