US jobless claims rise to 286,000, highest since October

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Thursday, January 20th, 2022 10:23am

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level in three months as the fast-spreading omicron variant disrupted the job market.

Jobless claims rose for the third straight week — by 55,000 to 286,000, highest since mid-October, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly volatility, rose by 20,000 to 231,000, highest since late November.

A surge in COVID cases has set back what had been a strong comeback from last year’s short but devastating coronavirus recession.

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