The U.S. economy was stronger during the spring than earlier estimated, the U.S. government said today, revising the growth rate higher because business spending and exports were better than first thought.

Gross domestic product rose at a seasonally adjusted 4% annual rate, the U.S. Commerce Department said in a new, revised estimate of GDP in the second quarter, which included the period April through June.

It was the strongest quarterly rate of GDP growth since 4.8% during the first three months of 2006.

Originally, the government had estimated second-quarter 2007 GDP rose 3.4%. First-quarter 2007 GDP climbed 0.6%.

The U.S. Commerce Department data showed corporate profits strengthened in the second quarter. Profits after taxes grew by 5.4% to US$1.154 trillion, after rising by 1.5% in the first quarter. Year over year, profits increased 3.5%.

Meanwhile, U.S. house prices appreciated 3.2% in the second quarter of 2007 from a year before, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight reported Thursday.

Ofheo said prices rose only 0.1% in the second quarter from the first quarter, the lowest quarterly increase since 1994.

In other U.S. economic news, the number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits jumped last week to the highest level since April.

Jobless claims rose 9,000 to 334,000 on a seasonally-adjusted basis in the week ended Aug. 25, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. Claims for the Aug. 18 week were revised to 325,000 from 322,000.

Wall Street forecasts had called for 2,000 decline last week to 320,000.

The four-week average rose 6,250 last week to 324,500. That’s the fifth straight rise.