Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Michigan 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 7,242 in the week ending Nov. 29, down from 7,757 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 191,000 last week, down 27,000 claims from 218,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Nebraska saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 98.5%. Virgin Islands, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 58.3%.

USA TODAY Co. 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

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