Jobless claims rise sharply during holiday week

Reuters

Published Dec 31, 2015 08:36AM ET

Jobless claims rise sharply during holiday week

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose sharply last week, a potential signal the job market was losing steam although some of the rise might be attributed to temporary holiday factors.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 20,000to a seasonally adjusted 287,000 for the week ended Dec.26, the Labor Department said on Thursday.