Unemployment claims in Illinois declined last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Illinois 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 8,428 in the week ending July 20, down from 9,574 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 235,000 last week, down 10,000 claims from 245,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Texas saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 24.9%. Kansas, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 68.7%.

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.