New York — Applications for US state unemployment benefits have risen for the first time in five weeks and remain well above pre-coronavirus levels, suggesting the labour-market recovery is slowing amid a surging pandemic and fresh business restrictions.

Initial jobless claims in regular state programmes totaled 742,000 for the week ended November 14, up 31,000 from the prior week and compared with expectations for a decline, US labour department data showed on Thursday. On an unadjusted basis, the figure increased by about 18,000...

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