Initial claims for unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania increased last week compared to the previous week, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
New unemployment claims, a measure of layoffs, rose to 19,698 in the week ending Dec. 7, up from 15,081 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims rose to 242,000 last week, an increase of 17,000 claims from 225,000 the week before on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Georgia had the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims increasing 162.5%. Delaware, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage decline in new claims, with claims down 36.7%.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites nationwide, generated from data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Unemployment claims in Pennsylvania increased last week
