Initial filings for unemployment benefits in North Carolina 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 3,309 in the week ending February 10, down from 3,591 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 212,000 last week, down 8,000 claims from 220,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Kentucky saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 179.0%. Missouri, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 56.4%.

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 The Fayetteville Observer: Unemployment claims in North Carolina declined last week