Initial U.S. jobless claims surged unexpectedly last week by 43,000, their highest level since late September, a government report showed on Thursday.
The Labor Department said the number of Americans making first-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits jumped by a seasonally adjusted 43,000 to 364,000 in the week ended Jan. 1, up from a revised 321,000 in the previous week. The increase of 43,000 was the largest one-week gain since the end of March 2002.
The latest snapshot of the labor market activity surprised economists, who had forecasted claims to rise last week to around 331,000.
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