Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Maryland 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 2,567 in the week ending February 3, down from 3,028 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 218,000 last week, down 9,000 claims from 227,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Missouri saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 39.4%. District of Columbia, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 84.2%.

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.