According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, initial jobless claims rose by 9,000 to 244,000 last week, the highest level since November 2021.
Jobless claims rose above 230,000 for the sixth consecutive week and above 215,000, the weekly average before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, the number of Americans continuing to file for unemployment benefits fell by 41,000 to 1.33 million.