Jobless claims rise to 332,000 as economy tries to regain momentum
by Zachary Halaschak, Economics Reporter |
| September 16, 2021 08:31 AM
The number of new applications for unemployment benefits rose 20,000 last week to 332,000, the Labor Department reported on Thursday.
The new numbers were just higher than the 330,000 expected by forecasters.
The numbers reflect the first week with nobody receiving $300 supplemental payments to their state unemployment insurance, one of the expanded federal programs that ended on Labor Day . The GOP and some economists have blamed labor shortages on the revved-up benefits, although other economists say their effect has been minor.
The news comes after the August jobs report, released last week, fell well short of what economists were hoping for . The economy added just 235,000 new jobs last month, well below the 750,000 that were expected. The overall unemployment rate dropped slightly from 5.4% to 5.2%.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/jobless-claims-rise-332000-economy-tries-regain-momentum
