Continuing claims at all-time high for 15th week in a row.
Auto industry job losses led to a surge in the number of people filing initial claims for unemployment benefits last week, according to a government report released Thursday.
And, in the most recent data available, the number of people filing claims on an ongoing basis rose to a record high for the 15th straight week.
A total of 637,000 people filed new claims for jobless benefits in the week ended May 9, the Labor Department said. That's an increase of 32,000 from an upwardly revised 605,000 in the previous week.
The tally was higher than expected. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast 610,000 initial claims.
The majority of last week's increase was due to layoffs and furloughs in the automotive industry, a Labor Department analyst said.
