HURRICANE SPIKES U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS TO 298K

The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits soared last week by the most in nearly five years, driven by Hurricane Harvey’s impact on Texas and Louisiana. Weekly applications for jobless aid jumped 62,000 to a seasonally adjusted 298,000, reaching the highest level in two years, the Labor Department said. Applications soared by more than

51,000 in Texas and ticked up

258 in Louisiana.