Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Florida 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 5,590 in the week ending September 20, down from 6,075 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 218,000 last week, down 14,000 claims from 232,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Alaska saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 25.9%. South Carolina, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 37.7%.

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 un

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