Weekly jobless claims rise again in NH

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

As the weather cools and the pandemic heats up, unemployment claims in New Hampshire and the nation are on the rise, according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Initial unemployment claims in New Hampshire jumped sharply. Some 2,923 were filed in the week ending Dec. 5, 941 more than the number the federal government previously reported. It is also up by 615 over the previous week’s now-official number, which was revised upwards. Either way, people are getting laid off at six times pre-pandemic levels.

Last week’s surge came after a drop in claims the previous week, which followed a more substantial increase the week before.

Perhaps even more disturbing was a very slight uptick in continuing claims – the first increase since the spring. Some 20,902 Granite Staters were collecting benefits during the week ending Nov. 28, 284 more than the number reported the previous week.

Nationally, unemployment claims rose as well. Some 853,000 new claims were filed, 141,000 more than the previous week.

As for the benefits being received by unemployed people, it has now been 13 weeks since federal government’s $300 weekly enhancement ended. A bipartisan proposal has been put forward in Congress, supported by the state’s congressional delegation, that would revive that $300 extra payment, and would benefits and eligibility. The deadline for the lame-duck Congress and president to hammer out an agreement has been pushed into next week.