The United States saw a rise in the number of people filing new claims for unemployment benefits last week. This increase came as a surprise and suggests that the recovery of the labor market from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may be slowing down. The weekly jobless claims exceeded the expectations of economists, who had predicted a decline in claims for the week. This news raises concerns about the strength and sustainability of the economic recovery. Economists and policymakers will closely monitor the job market and related indicators to assess the overall health of the economy.