Applications for unemployment benefits in the United States rose by 12,000 to 248,000 last week, but remain at levels considered low.

The previous week, the number of benefit applications released by the Labor Department had stood at 236,000, after being revised downwards from the 239,000 initially announced.

The four-week average of applications, which is a more reliable indicator of the labor market trend, fell to 253,250 (down 3,500).

In May, the unemployment rate rose to 3.7%, but there was more job creation than expected, with 339,000 new jobs.