Surge in U.S. Jobless Claims Blamed on Easter and a Grocery Strike

The Easter holiday, which fell three weeks later this year on April 21, likely contributed to jobless claims snapping a five-week streak of declines, as seasonal adjustments for the indicator can be tricky. Claims rose by 37,000 in the week ended April 20, and the union represents about 30,000 company workers in New England. On an unadjusted basis, filings climbed across states in that region: Connecticut and Massachusetts claims more than doubled and Rhode Island’s more than quadrupled.