Unemployment claims in Florida declined last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Florida 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 3,138 in the week ending December 26, down from 5,303 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 199,000 last week, down 16,000 claims from 215,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Delaware saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 88.2%. Arkansas, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 66.9%.

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.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Unemployment claims in Florida declined last week