Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Alabama 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 2,175 in the week ending June 22, down from 2,325 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 233,000 last week, down 6,000 claims from 239,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Vermont saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 268.4%. Delaware, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 38.1%.

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 Montgomery Advertiser: Unemployment claims in Alabama declined last week