New Jobless Claims Spike To 965,000, Economists Expected 800,000Thomas Catenacci
Reporter
January 14, 2021 8:58 AM ET
The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 965,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) figure released Thursday represented a increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Jan. 9, in which there were 787,000 new jobless claims reported. Roughly 18.4 million Americans continue to collect unemployment benefits, according to the BLS report Thursday.
Economists expected Thursday’s jobless claims number to come in around 800,000, The Wall Street Journal reported. New jobless claims fell below 1 million in the first week of August, which was the first time the weekly claims had fallen below 1 million since March.
“It’s not a pretty picture,†Beth Ann Bovino, U.S. chief economist for S&P Global Ratings, told The WSJ. “We’re stuck at a level that’s four times where it should be.â€
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https://dailycaller.com/2021/01/14/new-jobless-claims-spike-above-expectations/