Weekly jobless claims in the United States jumped by 78,000 in a week after Hurricane Sandy hit states along the north east coast at the end of October and early November.
The Labor Department said on Thursday that new claims for unemployment insurance rose to 439,000 in the week to November 10 from the previous week's figure of 361,000.
Sandy left millions of people without power for days, and wrecked homes and businesses in many communities.
