Unexpected Rise in Initial Jobless Claims

The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly last week as delayed filings from the Thanksgiving week inflated the tally. The total number of people collecting benefits dropped by the most in almost a year.

Initial claims rose by 6,000 in the week that ended Dec. 3 to 327,000 from the previous week’s 321,000, the Labor Department said.

The total number on benefit rolls fell by 137,000, the biggest decline since the week ended Jan. 1, to 2.6 million.