Yahoo TV

The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits jumped to a near three-month high last week as mounting COVID-19 infections cause more business restrictions.

Initial claims for jobless benefits rose to 853,000 last week, up sharply from 716,000 in the prior week.

The weekly increase was the largest since March, when the nation was battered by the first wave of COVID-19 cases.

The U.S. is in the throes of its worst wave of coronavirus infections so far, with the number of confirmed cases crossing the 15 million mark this week and daily deaths passing 3,000 for the first time.

New strict stay-at-home orders went into effect in most of California, the nation’s most populous state, and other states and local governments have also imposed restrictions.

Economists expect recent measures to lead to a fresh round of layoffs during winter, especially without additional pandemic relief money from the government.

A deal on another rescue package remained elusive, with Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell saying that Congress was still looking for a way forward.