Obama aide: jobless claims jump likely shows shutdown effect

A surge in U.S. jobless claims in the latest week suggests the government shutdown and worries about a debt default are already hurting the American economy, White House Council of Economic Advisers Jason Furman said on Thursday.

"It's one week's number, the numbers are noisy, but it's yet another signal" about how employers are reacting to the fiscal deadlock in Washington, Furman said at a breakfast sponsored by the Center for American Progress.

(Reporting By Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Doina Chiacu)