Unemployment claims in Louisiana declined last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Louisiana 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 1,461 in the week ending July 6, down from 2,090 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 222,000 last week, down 17,000 claims from 239,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

North Dakota saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 185.0%. Virgin Islands, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 74.3%.

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.