Labor reports weekly jobless claims have spiked by 15,000

Initial claims for unemployment spiked more than expected last week, but are still at a level suggesting that the job market is strengthening.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that unemployment claims stood at 381,000 for the week that ended on Christmas Eve, an increase of 15,000 from the week before.

Still, the four-week claims average, widely thought to be a more stable measure, dipped to 375,000. This week’s release also marked the fourth consecutive time that initial claims have come in below 400,000, which economists generally consider to be a sign of economic growth. 

The release will also be the last before voters start to weigh in on the GOP presidential field, with the economy expected to be a major issue in the 2012 election. 

Unemployment and an ailing economy remain the biggest anchor on President Obama, who is fighting for a second term. The White House, which has seen Obama's poll numbers jump in the last week, will be closely watching the monthly unemployment report released next week. The last report showed the jobless rate dropping sharply to 8.6 percent, but that figure has been weighed down by millions of people abandoning their search for a job.

Analysts had expected initial claims to increase, after the last two reports had found claims at their lowest levels in more than three years. But, on average, economists surveyed by Bloomberg (375,000) and Dow Jones (372,000) thought the rise would not be as steep as reported.

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