The Department of Labor said Thursday initial jobless claims, seasonally adjusted, were 222,000 for the week ending April 19. That's 6,000 more than the previous week's revised level.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Missouri dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 3,948 in the week ending April 19, down from 4,917 the week before, the Labor Department said.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Illinois rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 9,328 in the week ending April 19,