Economics

U.S. Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Increase to More Than 1 Million

Continuing claims decline to lowest since early April
New Jersey, New York, Texas post larger gains in new claims

A customer wears a protective face mask inside a shop on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, on Aug. 1, 2020.Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg

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By Reade Pickert

August 20, 2020 at 8:33 AM EDT

Updated on

August 20, 2020 at 9:52 AM EDT

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Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased last week, a stumble for the labor market in its long road to recovery.

Initial jobless claims in regular state programs rose by 135,000 to more than 1.1 million in the week ended Aug. 15, Labor Department data showed Thursday. Continuing claims -- the total number of Americans claiming ongoing unemployment assistance in those programs -- decreased to 14.8 million in the week ended Aug. 8, the lowest since early April.

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