Friday's report said the number of people signing up for unemployment benefits rose 9.5 percent in June to more than 220,000. The total included more than 25,000 people with casual or part-time jobs who nonetheless qualify for state welfare.
The nation lost jobs for a sixth month in a row in June, a storm of pink slips drenching this year's July Fourth holiday for more than 60,000 Americans and leaving thousands more worried about the future.
The world's biggest economy lost jobs for a sixth straight month in June as US employers shed 62,000 nonfarm jobs amid a lingering slowdown, a Labor Department report showed Thursday.
