New jobless claims increased to 200,000 last week, an increase of 9,000 over the previous week, according to data the Department of Labor released on Thursday. 

The figure came in higher than economists, who had forecasted 195,000 claims, ABC News reported. 

New jobless claims remain at historically low levels. Layoffs are scarce, and Americans are enjoying a large amount of job security. In the past nine weeks, they've come in at or below 200,000, and they've never exceeded 230,000 in a single week. 

The number of new claims for unemployment benefits acts as a proxy for layoffs, signaling to economists where the job market is headed.