New claims for unemployment insurance recorded an unexpected rise last week, underscoring the arduous path to recovery facing the US labour market. Separately on Thursday, sales of existing homes rebounded from a record low in August, offering hope the residential real estate market could be stabilising. Initial jobless claims rose 12,000 to 465,000, the labour department said on Thursday. Economists had expected new claims to remain flat after they fell to a two-month low the week before. Claims have been improving in recent weeks after hovering near the half-million mark during the summer. The less volatile four-week average of new claims is down 3,250 to 463,250. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/39aa0b3c-c70e-11df-a806-00144feab49a.html