Unemployment claims in Louisiana declined last week

Initial claims for unemployment benefits in Louisiana decreased last week compared to the previous week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 773 in the week ending Dec. 26, from 1,491 the week before, the Labor Department said.

In the United States, the number of unemployment claims fell to 199,000 last week, a decrease of 16,000 from 215,000 the previous week, on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Delaware saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping 88.2%. Arkansas, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage decline in new claims, with a 66.9% drop.

USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated using data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Louisiana Unemployment Claims Declined Last Week