The number of furloughed federal working seeking unemployment benefits doubled between the first and second weeks of the government shutdown, but Americans at large say the impasse hasn't had much of an effect on them.

Some 4,800 workers filed unemployment claims during the week of Dec. 29, a number that jumped to about 10,500 during the week of Jan. 5, according to numbers released Thursday by the Labor Department. By comparison, just over 1,000 workers sought unemployment aid during the same period last year.

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