Jobless claims show unexpected increase

Yahoo! News
Jobless claims show unexpected increase

The number of newly laid off workers filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that applications for unemployment benefits totaled 334,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week.

That gain caught analysts by surprise. They had been forecasting that jobless claims would fall by around 2,000.

Analysts are closely watching to see whether recent financial market turmoil will have an impact on business hiring decisions.