New York (CNN Business) Another 1.1 million Americans filed initial claims for unemployment benefits on a seasonally adjusted basis last week, dashing economists' hopes for a second-straight week with fewer than 1 million claims. But last week's claims exceeded forecasts after the previous week's report was the first below 1 million since March , the Department of Labor reported Thursday. Without seasonal adjustments, 891,510 people filed regular first-time claims for benefits. Because the survey for the Bureau of Labor Statistics' August jobs report also wrapped last week, that could dampen economists' forecasts for the jobs report early next month. But the disappointment from the initial claims number was offset by a larger-than-expected decrease in continued jobless claims, which count people who have filed regular claims for at least two weeks in a row.

Source: CNN August 20, 2020 12:37 UTC