Massachusetts unemployment claims increased last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Massachusetts rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 5,697 in the week ending August 9, up from 4,414 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 224,000 last week, down 3,000 claims from 227,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 99.3%. Iowa, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 32.5%.

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 Standard-Times: Unemployment claims in Massachusetts increased last week