Initial claims for unemployment benefits in the U.S. rose more than expected. Moreover, they increased to a 9-week high: 241 thousand compared to the forecast of 224 thousand and the previous figure of 223 thousand.

The total number of claims for unemployment benefits also rose more than forecasts - to 1.916 million instead of the expected 1.86 million.

The data - while not the most important for the labor market this week, confirms yesterday's weak figures for employment in the non-farm sector from ADP.

The worse the labor market gets, the greater the chances that the U.S. Federal Reserve will start considering lowering interest rates. In this regard, tomorrow's data will be key - including the unemployment rate and changes in the number of jobs in manufacturing. Friday could be even more volatile on macro data than Wednesday was.