Unemployment claims in North Carolina declined last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in North Carolina 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 2,814 in the week ending September 28, down from 3,263 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 225,000 last week, up 6,000 claims from 219,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Iowa saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 41.8%. Virgin Islands, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 61.3%.

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 .

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Unemployment claims in North Carolina declined last week