U.S. jobless numbers rise more than expected

New jobless claims rose more than expected last week due partly to an increase in layoffs by the automobile industry, while the number of people continuing to receive unemployment benefits set a record for the 15th straight week. The Labor Department says the number of new claims rose to a seasonally adjusted 637,000, from a revised 605,000 the previous week. That’s above analysts’ expectations of 610,000. The increase comes after initial claims dropped in four of the previous five weeks, which raised hopes that the wave of layoffs announced earlier this year has crested and that the recession was nearing a bottom. A department analyst said most of the increase was due to auto layoffs. Economists estimate Chrysler has laid off 27,000 workers in the wake of its April 30 bankruptcy filing. General Motors has said it will temporarily shut 13 factories beginning later this month through July, potentially affecting 25,000 workers. Still, many economists expect the downward trend in jobless claims to return once the impact of the auto industry’s job cuts has passed. The department said wholesale prices climbed 0.3% last month, larger than the 0.1% gain economists had expected. The biggest jump in food costs in more than a year offset a second monthly decline in the price of energy products.