Another 853,000 Americans File for First-Time Unemployment Insurance, Highest Tally Since September

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Another 853,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment insurance for the week ending Dec. 5, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected claims to total 730,000. The most recent figure is the highest weekly claim total since Sept. 19 and a 137,000-claim increase from the previous week’s revised number. The four-week moving average increased by 35,500 to 776,000.

Continuing claims, for which data is a week behind, increased by 230,000 to just under 5.8 million. The figure represents the first increase since August.