The number of U.S. citizens who have applied for unemployment benefits soared by 68,000 in one week’s time, bringing the total to 368,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
The increase, reported for the week ending Dec. 7, follows seven weeks of falling numbers — and is the end to one economic boon the White House had been touting. Economists said the increase in claim applications was concerning and much higher than the 320,000 figure that was expected, Breitbart said. The 68,000 is the largest jump in about nine months.
The Labor Department said the increase is due to “difficulties in seasonal adjusting,” Breitbart reported.
By state, the largest unemployment filings hailed from Wisconsin, Ohio, Kentucky, Massachusetts and New Jersey, Breitbart reported.
Conversely, the states that posted the biggest decrease in number of claims filed: California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and Nevada.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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