Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Louisiana 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 1,872 in the week ending June 1, down from 2,184 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 229,000 last week, up 8,000 claims from 221,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

North Dakota saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 164.7%. Puerto Rico, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 43.6%.

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 Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Unemployment claims in Louisiana declined last week