Jobless claims surge

Number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits breaks half-million mark for first time in 2009.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week to 524,000, breaking the half-million mark for the first time in 2009, according to a government report released Thursday.

The Labor Department said that initial filings for state jobless benefits rose 54,000 for the week ended Jan. 10.

Economists polled by Briefing.com expected the reading to rise to 501,000 claims.

Jobless claims were revised upward to 470,000 from 467,000 for the week ended Jan. 3.

The last time jobless claims exceeded the half-million mark was the week that ended Dec. 20, when claims surged to a 26-year high of 589,000.