The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits for the first time last week reached its highest level in four months. The Department of Labor revealed today, Thursday, that the most significant factor in the higher-than-anticipated increase in jobless claims is Hurricane Fiona, as applications rose in particular in storm-ravaged Puerto Rico in the second half of September.
It is also possible that it will be impacted by information on aid applications received in the upcoming weeks as a result of Hurricane Ian, which devastated the states of Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina at the end of September.
In the week ending October 1, the number of initial applications for state unemployment benefits climbed by 29,000 to a seasonally adjusted total of 219,000.
The increase last week was the largest since June, while statistics from the week before was updated to reflect 3,000 fewer applications than first thought. Reuters polled economists, and they predicted 203,000 applications in the previous week.
Hurricane Fiona has caused an increase in US unemployment claims.
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