A worker cleans out a walk-in refrigerator in the dark at the West Side Wine & Liquor store, in Hoboken, New Jersey. (AP Photo/John Minchillo. File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Superstorm Sandy drove the number of people seeking unemployment benefits up to a seasonally adjusted 439,000 last week, the highest level in 18 months.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications increased by 78,000 mostly because a large number of applications were filed in states damaged by the storm. People can claim unemployment benefits if their workplaces close and they don’t get paid.

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