The Labor Department reported Thursday that initial claims for unemployment benefits rose to 861,000.

勞工部週四報告稱，初請失業金人數增至86.1萬人。

That surprised economists who had forecast 765,000 applications.

這讓經濟學家們大吃一驚，他們曾預測有76.5萬份申請。

The temporary closure of auto plants due to global chip shortage may have been partly behind the rise in claims.

全球芯片短缺導致的汽車廠暫時關閉可能是索賠增加的部分原因。

Although applications air still stuck above their 665,000 peak during the great recession after dropping from a record 6.9 million in March, there is reason to be cautiously optimistic.

雖然3月份的申請量從創紀錄的690萬份下降後，仍停留在大衰退期間的66.5萬份峰值之上，但我們有理由保持謹慎樂觀的態度。

Coronavirus infections have been declining since mid January.

自1月中旬以來，冠狀病毒感染率一直在下降。

So have hospitalization rates plus retail sales grew by the most in seven months in January, and Congress is considering President Joe Biden's massive $1.9 trillion recovery package.

住院率也是如此，再加上1月份零售額增長了7個月來最多，國會正在考慮喬-拜登總統1.9萬億美元的大規模復甦方案。

And the Federal Reserve report said most Fed officials see progress and vaccinations, leading to what they see as a sizable boost in economic activity.

而美聯儲報告稱，大多數美聯儲官員認為進步和疫苗接種，導致他們認為經濟活動得到了可觀的推動。