WASHINGTON—The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased last week for the first time in more than a month, but layoffs are easing amid a reopening economy and a shortage of people willing to work. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits totaled a seasonally adjusted 412,000 for the week ended June 12, compared to 375,000 in the prior week, the Labor Department said on Thursday. That was the first increase since late April. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 359,000 applications for the latest week. The economy is ironically facing a labor crunch, despite employment being still 7.6 million jobs below its peak in February 2020. A shortage of childcare facilities is keeping some parents, mostly women, at home. Generous government-funded unemployment benefits, including a $300 weekly check, have also been blamed, as well as a reluctance to return to work out of fear of contracting COVID-19 …