30.09.202112:36:00UTC+00U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Inch Up To 362,000

First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased for the third straight week in the week ended September 25th, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday.

The report said initial jobless claims edged up to 362,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 351,000. The uptick surprised economists, who had expected jobless claims to dip to 335,000.

With the unexpected increase, jobless claims climbed further off the pandemic-era low of 312,000 set in the week ended September 4th.