Weekly jobless claims jump

updated 8:59 a.m. ET Nov. 30, 2006

WASHINGTON - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits posted an unexpectedly large increase last week.

The Labor Department reported that 357,000 newly laid off workers filed jobless claims, a rise of 34,000 from the previous week.

Many economists had been expecting claims to fall slightly. Labor Department analysts attributed part of the jump to seasonal adjustment factors.

The four-week moving average for claims, which is designed to smooth out week-to-week fluctuations, rose by 7,250 to 325,000, the highest level since June 3.

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