Recurring applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose to the highest since February, suggesting that Americans who are losing their job are having more trouble finding a new one in a labor market that’s gradually cooling.
Continuing claims, which include people who have already received unemployment benefits for a week or more, rose by 57,000 to 1.6 million in the week ended Nov. 19, the biggest jump in a year.
Initial unemployment claims meanwhile decreased by 16,000 to 225,000 in the week ended Nov. 26, Labor Department data showed Thursday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 235,000 applications.
