Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Massachusetts 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 4,984 in the week ending August 17, down from 5,375 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims rose to 232,000 last week, up 4,000 claims from 228,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Florida saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 35.7%. Puerto Rico, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 48.3%.
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 Cape Cod Times: Unemployment claims in Massachusetts declined last week