Workers file 719,000 new jobless claims in unexpected jump from pandemic low

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits unexpectedly jumped above the pre-coronavirus record once again last week, the feds said Thursday.

The batch of 719,000 initial jobless claims came just a week after new filings reached their lowest level since the start of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Jobless claims increased from the prior week’s revised total of 658,000 and exceeded economists’ expectations for 680,000 filings.