The number of US workers filing unemployment claims ticked higher this week as employers contend with the ongoing Omicron variant surge, according to weekly data on jobless claims released Thursday.

Data released by the Labor Department showed 230,000 initial jobless claims for the week ending on Jan. 8. The tally was up from last week’s 207,000 claims.

The jobless claims number was higher than expected and jumped to its highest since November.