Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Michigan 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 5,942 in the week ending February 17, down from 7,849 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 201,000 last week, down 12,000 claims from 213,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Oklahoma saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 139.6%. Kentucky, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 71.8%.
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 Hillsdale Daily News: Unemployment claims in Michigan declined last week