Some 965,000 new unemployment claims were filed in the week ending January 9, according to the U.S. Labor Department. This number is higher than expected, an increase of 181,000 from the previous week’s level, which was revised down by 3,000 claims to 784,000, and a disappointing report amid other recent signs that the job market is suffering as the pandemic’s economic toll increases. One reason for the increased numbers could be the added unemployment benefits kicking in from the recent passage of the new pandemic relief bill. There are currently 18,406,940 people in the U.S. filing for unemployment through different government programs.
Unemployment claims spike as 965,000 new ones filed last week
