The number of U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ended April 10 rose by 24,000, or 5.2%, to 484,000 from the previous week's unrevised number of 460,000, the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.

A Labor Department official told The Associated Press that difficulties in seasonal adjustments because of the Easter holiday clouded the numbers.

The four-week moving average of claims for the week ended April 10 rose by 7,500, or 1.7%, to 457,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 450,250.