The Labor Department reported on Sept. 15 that 428,000 people filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week, the highest level of new claims since late June. The figure was an increase of 11,000 over the previous week’s 417,000 unemployment claims.
The beginning of the month had offered cause for optimism. During the week ending Sept. 3, new unemployment claims were down 12,000 compared the the previous week.
President Barack Obama proposed legislation to tackle unemployment on Monday, after making a speech about it to legislators last week. Congress has had a mixed and partisan response to the ideas in his "Jobs for America" bill. Republican leaders have called it unworkable and Democrats have urged its passage.
