U.S.jobless claims up sharply last week

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The number of Americans initially¹ applying for unemployment aid last week rose by 51,000 from the previous（以前的） week, the U.S. Labor² Department reported Thursday.
    The Labor Department said that the advance figure for seasonally³ （季节性的）adjusted initial claims for jobless benefits was 454,000 in the week ending Jan. 22, increasing from the prior week's revised figure of 403,000.
    Analyst⁴ said that a major reason for the spike⁵ was the rare snowstorms that swept through the Southeast, which prevented many people from applying for benefits in the prior week. When state offices reopened and people were able to file applications that pushed the number of requests up sharply.
    The four-week moving average, which more closely watched claims figure, increased to 428,750 from the previous week's revised average of 413,000.
    Economists⁶ said that the number of jobless claims will have to fall to 375,000 or below to signal a sustained drop in the unemployment rate.
    Though the number for jobless claims rose last week, many economists still consider that hiring will pick up this year.
    The weekly figures of jobless benefits application reflect the level of layoffs⁷ and indicate the real-time condition of the American job market.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 seasonally   

参考例句：

• The price of vegetables fluctuates seasonally. 蔬菜的价格随季节变动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They moved seasonally among various vegetation types to feed on plants that were flourishing. 它们还随着季节的变化而在各种类型植物之间迁移，以便吃那些茂盛的植物。 来自辞典例句

4 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

5 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

6 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 layoffs   

临时解雇( layoff的名词复数 )； 停工，停止活动

参考例句：

• Textile companies announced 2000 fresh layoffs last week. 各纺织公司上周宣布再次裁员两千人。
• Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 当公司突然宣布裁员时，股票价格便大跌