Unemployment Claims Climb To 332,000 After Reaching New Low Last Week

The U.S. economy saw 332,000 new unemployment claims filed last week, an uptick from where it was just a week after posting a pandemic low.

The initial unemployment claim numbers exceeded expectations by Dow Jones which expected the number of claims to be closer to 320,000, CNBC reported.

The data arrive amid significant job openings as employers complain about being unable to find workers and executives worry that it is more difficult than before to add new hires.

On Sept. 9, the Labor Department reported that 310,000 initial claims were filed.

Continuing claims declined, however, falling by 187,000 to 2.66 million. This represents a new low since the start of the pandemic.

These numbers follow an end to enhanced federal unemployment benefits on Labor Day. Several states, led by Republicans, cut unemployment benefits earlier in a bid to boost job growth in their states but the effect was not as robust as they had hoped.