Unemployment claims in Pennsylvania increased last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 15,214 in the week ending June 8, up from 11,080 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 242,000 last week, up 13,000 claims from 229,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Puerto Rico saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 309.8%. North Dakota, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 58.1%.

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 Lebanon Daily News: Unemployment claims in Pennsylvania increased last week