By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New applications for U.S. unemployment aid unexpectedly fell last week, but the number of people collecting benefits in mid-October was the highest in nearly three years, indicating it was becoming harder for those losing jobs to land new positions.
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The second straight weekly drop in filings for state unemployment benefits reported by the Labor Department on Thursday likely reflected an ebb in claims from Hurricane Helene, which earlier this month had boosted applications to the highest level in nearly 1-1/2 years. There is a still a chance that claims could rise in the weeks ahead as the impact on the labor market from Hurricane Milton has yet to be felt.
Given the distortions from the hurricanes as well as an ongoing strike at Boeing, economists expected Federal Reserve officials to shrug off…
