Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Colorado 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 2,630 in the week ending March 9, down from 2,732 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 209,000 last week, down 1,000 claims from 210,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Oregon saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 33.7%. New Hampshire, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 60.6%.

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 Pueblo Chieftain: Unemployment claims in Colorado declined last week