Jobless claims jumped more than expected last week

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week as high-profile companies continue to announce major job cuts.Figures released Thursday by the Labor Department show initial claims for the week ending Feb. 24 jumped by 13,000 to 215,000, above the 210,00 estimate by Refinitiv economists. However, that is slightly below the 2019 pre-pandemic average of 218,000 claims.Continuing claims, filed by Americans who are consecutively receiving unemployment benefi