Claims for unemployment insurance for the first time increased last week in a sign that the job market is still struggling.
New claims totaled 861,000, the highest level in a month and above the Dow Jones estimate of 773,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
Markets have changed little with the news, with stocks about to open lower on Wall Street.
The total for the week ending February 13 marked only a slight increase, however, from 848,000 a week ago. This number was revised upwards from the 793,000 initially reported.
Continuous claims decreased again, dropping to just under 4.5 million, down 64,000. This data is executed a week behind the total of initial complaints.
The total of those receiving benefits fell, dropping 1.3 million to 18.34 million, mainly due to a drop in claims related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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