Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Michigan 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 4,954 in the week ending February 24, down from 5,944 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 215,000 last week, up 13,000 claims from 202,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 252.7%. Oklahoma, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 64.3%.

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 Livingston Daily: Unemployment claims in Michigan declined last week