Another 853,000 Americans filed jobless claims last week, more than expected

The latest total of new jobless claims has come in higher than expected, making for the worst week in almost three months.

The Labor Department on Thursday said 853,000 Americans filed first-time jobless claims last week, up 137,000 from the previous week's revised level of 716,000. This was more than the 730,000 claims economists had been expecting, and it was the highest weekly total since Sept. 19, CNBC reports.

The rise came amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States and after the U.S. on Wednesday set a new record for daily coronavirus deaths with more than 3,000 in a single day. The numbers also come after the Labor Department last week released a disappointing jobs report showing that only 245,000 jobs were added in November, whereas economists expected 440,000.

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"Last week's [monthly] jobs report showed a rapid deceleration in the recovery in November, and surging UI claims only add to the picture of a slowing recovery this winter," Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao said, CNN reports. "The worsening economic data raises the specter of a double-dip recession. Despite the prospects of widespread vaccine availability by next summer, weak economic data now puts increasing pressure on Congress to extend additional relief to bridge Americans over the next few months."