More Americans than expected filed unemployment claims last week, according to figures released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department. as the omicron variant spread rapidly through the U.S.,
Jobless claims totaled 207,000 for the week ended Jan. 1, higher than the 195,000 forecast and up 7,000 from the previous period.
The silver lining is that the latest data shows claims are well-anchored around a level that is even lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic, when claims were averaging around 215,000. The four-week moving average, which accounts for weekly volatility in the numbers, nudged higher to 204,500 for the current period.
Continuing claims which run a week behind the headline number, also rose, climbing to 1.75 million, for an increase of 36,000.
