© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: People line up outside a newly reopened career center for in-person appointments in Louisville, U.S., April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Amira Karaoud
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly rose last week, though the labor market continues to steadily recover.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 351,000 for the week ended Sept. 18, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
Ida, which made landfall in late August, devastated U.S. offshore energy production and knocked off power in Louisiana. One of the most powerful hurricanes ever to