WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week to the highest level since early April, highlighting a weak labor market and the fragile economic recovery.

Weekly claims data are often volatile and the figures released on Thursday by the Labor Department have little bearing on the government's closely watched monthly employment report, due on Friday, as they fall outside the survey period.

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The article continues, you can read it at the link, top-left. I found what I was looking for. When I saw the link on  Drudge Report that said "surprise rise in jobless claims", I just knew that I would find either unexpectedly or unprecedented in this story.

Of course, we all know the real reason is that the nation has been unpresidented since January 2009.