Unemployment claims in Georgia increased last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Georgia 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 5,614 in the week ending August 24, up from 4,640 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 231,000 last week, down 2,000 claims from 233,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

North Dakota saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 313.7%. New Hampshire, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 24%.

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 Savannah Morning News: Unemployment claims in Georgia increased last week