The number of people applying for unemployment benefits for the first time in the United States increased last week, and the number of people in Louisiana soared under the influence of Hurricane Ida.

The number of first-time jobless claims rose to 332000 in the week ended Sept. 11, according to data released by the Labor Department on Thursday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected a median of 322000.

In the week ended September 4, the number of continuing jobless claims fell to 2.7 million.

The rise in first-time jobless claims may reflect fluctuations in weekly data at a time when the labour market is fully recovering and demand for labour is increasing. However, given the decline in stimulus spending, US economic growth is expected to slow in the third quarter.

The continued spread of Delta mutants could also pose a threat, especially if it disrupts offline teaching in schools and the work of parents.