An estimated 500,000 people made new claims for unemployment insurance last week, a 3.6 percent increase above the four-week moving average.
The half-million people nationwide claiming unemployment is an increase of 12,000 from the previous week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The increased pushed the four-week moving average from 474,500 to 482,500.
Last week, 24,121 federal civilian workers filed for unemployment insurance, up more than 1,000 from the previous week.
