Unemployment claims in New York increased last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in New York 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 16,054 in the week ending November 9, up from 13,603 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 217,000 last week, down 4,000 claims from 221,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Alaska saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 56.0%. Michigan, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 34.9%.

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.