The number of people applying for new unemployment-insurance benefits in New York state more than doubled to 40,252 in the week ending April 26 from 16,729 a week earlier.
New York posted the largest increase in jobless claims of all 50 states in the latest week, according to a U.S. Department of Labor news release issued today.
Layoffs in New York’s transportation and warehousing, food service, and educational services industries led the rise according to the Labor Department.
The increase snapped a trend of falling claims in the Empire State since March 1. During the run, first-time unemployment-benefit applications fell from a high of 37,824 in the week ending March 1 to 16,729 in the week ending April 19.
The number of New Yorkers continuing to receive unemployment benefits also increased in the latest week, ending April 26, to 219,732 from 205,348 the week before.
The state data is not seasonally adjusted.
Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com