The number of American workers who filed for unemployment rose above expectations last week and hit the highest level in a month, new government figures show. First-time filings for unemployment insurance—a proxy for layoffs—came in at 351,000 for the week ending Sept. 18, a rise of 16,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 335,000, the Labor Department said in a release (pdf). This is the highest number of weekly claims since the week of Aug. 21, when they hit 354,000. The consensus forecast cited by FXStreet was for 320,000 claims in the past week. “Hoped for progress on new claims for jobless benefits was not to be in the latest snapshot, posting a second straight weekly increase,” Bankrate senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. “Part of the explanation behind the increase is seen with significant jumps coming from California and Virginia, providing a …