U.S. jobless claim applications jumped to their highest level in almost four years last week, the latest sign that the labor market is softening.
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the week ending Sept. 6 rose 27,000 to 263,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That's the most filings since the week of Oct. 23, 2021 and well above the 231,000 new applications economists forecast.
Inflation inched higher last month as Americans closed out the summer paying more for both groceries and gasoline.
Consumer prices in August were up 2.9% from a year ago, according to a report Thursday from the Labor Department. That's a sharper annual increase than the previous month, when inflation was clocked at 2.7%.
Prices rose 0.4% between July and August, compared to a 0.2% increase the previous month. Prices for groceries jumped 0.6% while gasoline prices rose 1.9%.
Consumers also saw higher prices for new and used cars, clothing and air fares in August. Stripping out volatile food and energy prices, "core" inflation was 3.1% for the last 12 months.
Inflation Climbs in August as Grocery and Gas Prices Jump: NPR
Last edited by Ryuu96 - on 11 September 2025
