The number of people applying for new unemployment-insurance benefits in New York state in the week ending March 1 nearly doubled to 37,824 from 19,115 the week before, according to new U.S. Department of Labor data.
It’s the highest level of weekly first-time jobless claims in the state in nearly two months.
Layoffs in the state’s transportation and warehousing, educational services, and food services industries led the jump in claims in the latest week, according to a U.S. Department of Labor news release issued Thursday.
The number of New Yorkers continuing to receive unemployment benefits also rose in the week ending March 1 to 273,702 from 255,186 the week before. The continuing-claims number is also the highest in almost two months.
The state data is not seasonally adjusted.
Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com