WASHINGTON (Fox News): The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits ticked lower last week even as a rise in COVID-19 infections and new restrictions to help curb the spread of the virus weighed on the economy.

Figures released Thursday by the Labor Department show 787,000 Americans filed first-time jobless claims in the week ended Jan. 2, lower than the 800,000 forecast by Refinitiv economists.

The number is nearly four times the pre-crisis level but is well below the peak of almost 7 million that was reached when stay-at-home orders were first issued in March. Almost 70 million Americans, or about 40% of the labor force, have filed for unemployment benefits during the pandemic.