Feb 18, 2021
U.S. initial jobless claims unexpectedly rise for a second week
Bloomberg News
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Applications for U.S. state unemployment insurance rose unexpectedly for a second straight week, underscoring the labor market’s bumpy recovery amid the ongoing pandemic.
Initial jobless claims in regular state programs totaled 861,000 in the week ended Feb. 13, up 13,000 from an upwardly revised 848,000 in the prior week, Labor Department data showed Thursday. On an unadjusted basis, the number of applications fell slightly.
Continuing claims -- an approximation of the number of people filing for ongoing state benefits -- declined by 64,000 to 4.49 million in the week ended Feb. 6.