Unemployment claims in Montana declined last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Montana 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 386 in the week ending September 6, down from 392 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 263,000 last week, up 27,000 claims from 236,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

North Dakota saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 269.2%. Tennessee, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 52.1%.

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 Great Falls Tribune: Unemployment claims in Montana declined last week