[TSgt]

...a government official attributed the sharp increase largely to administrative backlogs. Some people don't file claims right away during the holiday season and state unemployment offices are open fewer hours, leading to paperwork delays.

First it was the snow, now it's the holiday season's fault!

[COBOL2Java]

First it was the snow, now it's the holiday season's fault!

Reminds me of the old Soviet Union, whose miserable agricultural performance was attributed to 72 years of bad weather...