Another 885,000 Americans filed new jobless claims last week, again more than expected

The latest number of new jobless claims has again come in higher than expected.

The Labor Department said Thursday 885,000 Americans filed new jobless claims last week, up 23,000 claims from the revised level of the week prior. Economists had anticipated that the number of claims would decrease this week to 808,000, CNBC reports. This total was also the highest since the week of Sept. 5, according to CNBC.

Last week, the number of new jobless claims had also risen sharply from 716,000 to 853,000, although that latter number was revised to 862,000 on Thursday. The latest spike in claims comes after the United States on Wednesday reported a record of over 247,000 new COVID-19 cases and over 3,600 COVID-19 deaths, CNN reports.

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On Wednesday, the Commerce Department also said retail sales fell 1.1 percent in November, more than expected, The New York Times reports.

"The recovery is weakening as we head into a rough winter," Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao said Thursday, per NBC News. "As the pandemic surges, employers are again furloughing or laying off workers as states impose new restrictions and consumer demand dries up."

Amid ongoing COVID-19 relief negotiations, The Washington Post's Heather Long also wrote that the "rising layoffs are an alarm bell that Congress needs to pass more stimulus."