Jobless Claims Spike

Washington, D.C., The number of first-time jobless claims was up by 43,000 people last week. It was the highest single-week increase since September. The number of Americans filing first-time claims for state unemployment insurance aid rose 43,000 to 364,000 in the week ended Jan. 1, up from a revised 321,000 in the previous week, according to the Labor Department.