WASHINGTON—The number of Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly dipped last week while staying extremely high, with the labor market recovery appearing to stall as a raging COVID-19 pandemic threatens to overwhelm the country.
Other data on Jan. 7 showed layoffs announced by U.S. companies surged 18.9 percent in December. Still, the economy is unlikely to slide back into recession after the government approved additional pandemic relief in late December. More fiscal stimulus is likely.
