According to online reports, Citibank economist Gisela Hoxha wrote that the four-week moving average of the number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the United States has continued to rise recently, indicating that the labor market is weakening. The number has been higher than the same period last year, reflecting a slowdown in hiring and a longer period of time for unemployed people to find jobs. The weakness may make it more difficult for official employment data to show the labor market is recovering from the hurricane's blow. "If jobless claims in hurricane-affected states remain high over the next few weeks, November jobs data released in early December may not fully rebound from the hurricane's impact," Hoxha wrote.