U.S. weekly jobless claims jumped by 33,000 to 258,000, driven by disruptions from Hurricane Helene and furloughs at Boeing amid a prolonged strike which led to Boeing firing 17,000 workers. (If you thought air travel sucks now, it will be getting worse.) This rise in joblessness marked the highest in over a year.

‍

Economists had forecasted 230,000 claims, but the surge was largely concentrated in states like Florida, North Carolina, and Washington. With additional impacts expected from Hurricane Milton, which recently struck Florida, jobless claims may remain elevated, complicating the labor market's outlook ahead of upcoming employment and Federal Reserve rate decisions.

‍