Massachusetts
Massachusetts unemployment claims declined last week
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 8,609 in the week ending January 17, down from 9,285 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims rose to 200,000 last week, up 1,000 claims from 199,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Virgin Islands saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 136.4%. Georgia, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 49.4%.
USA TODAY Co. 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.