Initial claims for unemployment benefits in Washington rose last week compared to the week before, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
New unemployment claims, a measure of layoffs, rose to 5,126 in the week ending June 8, up from 4,643 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims rose to 242,000 last week, an increase of 13,000 claims from 229,000 the week before on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Puerto Rico saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims increasing 309.8%. North Dakota, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage decline in new claims, with claims down 58.1%.
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 the Kitsap Sun: Unemployment claims in Washington increased last week
