WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest level since mid-November.
U.S. jobless claims climbed by 23,000 last week to 230,000, still low by historic standards.
The four-week moving average, which smooths out week-to-week blips, was up nearly 6,300 to almost 211,000.
The weekly applications, a proxy for layoffs, have now risen four of the last five weeks, possibly a sign that the omicron variant is having an impact on the job market, which has bounced strongly from last year’s coronavirus recession.
