Unemployment claims in Massachusetts increased. Here are the latest numbers.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Massachusetts rose for the week ending Oct. 12 week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 5,626 in the week ending Oct. 12, up from 4,929 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 241,000 for the same timeframe, down 19,000 claims from 260,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Nebraska saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 91.0%. Virgin Islands, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 53.1%.

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 Cape Cod Times: Unemployment claims in Massachusetts increased. Here are the latest numbers.