U.S. weekly jobless claims hit 885,000

The number of unemployed U.S. workers filing for first-time benefits increased last week to 885,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday morning. 

The figure was higher than the anticipated 808,000 and continue the trend in recent weeks of rising number – as state and local officials across the county limit restaurant operations and impose other, similar health-safety orders, which has contributed to a loss in jobs.

The weekly jobless figure fluctuates around the Christmas holidays due to seasonal-adjustment issues. But the four-week moving average had ticked up recently, following a consistent downward trend since peak unemployment numbers in the spring.