Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Michigan dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 7,553 in the week ending February 22, down from 7,726 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims rose to 242,000 last week, up 22,000 claims from 220,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 226.1%. Kentucky, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 58.4%.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Unemployment claims in Michigan declined last week
Read the full article here