Some 4,800 workers filed unemployment claims during the week of Dec. 29, a number that jumped to about 10,500 during the week of Jan. 5, according to numbers released Thursday by the Labor Department. By comparison, just over 1,000 workers sought unemployment aid during the same period last year.
The figures, which are the latest available, suggest that the number of furloughed workers currently seeking unemployment benefits could be much higher now, as the protracted standoff stretches into its fourth week.
When the shutdown started on Dec. 22, about 380,000 federal workers were sidelined while another 420,000 deemed essential began working without pay. Those figures have changed slightly as the IRS and other agencies have recalled some workers from furlough.