Via USA Today:
WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for U.S. unemployment benefits jumped by 66,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 374,000. But the spike was largely because California processed a huge backlog of claims and the partial government shutdown prompted some contractors to cut jobs.
The sharp rise comes after the average fell to a 6½-year low last week. The Labor Department says the less volatile four-week average rose 20,000 to 325,000.