Initial filings for unemployment benefits in North Carolina 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 3,554 in the week ending October 26, down from 6,523 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 216,000 last week, down 12,000 claims from 228,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Alaska saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 63.0%. North Carolina, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 45.5%.
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 Wilmington StarNews: Unemployment claims in North Carolina declined last week