Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Massachusetts rose for the week ending Dec. 21 compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 10,578, up from 8,870 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 219,000, down 1,000 claims from 220,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Kentucky saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 64.9%. West Virginia, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 29.1%.
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 increased. Here are the latest numbers.