First-time filings for unemployment insurance jumped last week in a sign of continuing strife for the labor market.
New claims totaled 861,000, the highest level in a month and above the Dow Jones estimate of 773,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
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Markets moved little on the news, with stocks opening lower on Wall Street.
The total for the week ended Feb. 13 marked only a slight uptick from the 848,000 a week earlier. That number was revised up from the initially reported 793,000.
Continuing claims declined again, edging lower to just below 4.5 million, a drop of 64,000. That data runs a week behind the headline first-time claims total.
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The total of those receiving benefits dropped by 1.3 million to 18.34 million, primarily due to a falloff in those on Covid-19 pandemic-related claims in the final week of January. However, those numbers have accelerated in early February.
A separate report Thursday saw January housing starts fall 6%, more than expected, but building permits surged 10.4%, easily above Wall Street estimates.
Reference: CNBC
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