US job gains picked up pace in June 2021 but the unemployment rate ticked up to 5.9 percent, the Labor Department said
US job gains picked up pace in June 2021 but the unemployment rate ticked up. AFP / Olivier DOULIERY

Weekly jobless filings rose unexpectedly last week, indicating the labor market recovery from the COVID-19-related disruptions is far from smooth. Initial jobless claims for the week ended July 3 rose to 373,000, up from the previou week’s revised total of 371,000, according to data released by the Department of Labor.

The claims were at more than 1 million a week at the same time last year. Still, the uptick in the latest numbers is puzzling as the the Labor Department reported Wednesday that job openings rose to a record 9.2 million in May.

Continuing claims for the week ended June 26 fell to 3.339 million from the previous week’s revised number of 3.484 million.

(This is a breaking news story and will be updated).

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