Unemployment claims in Tennessee increased last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Tennessee rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 3,676 in the week ending April 20, up from 3,539 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 207,000 last week, down 5,000 claims from 212,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 231.4%. Virgin Islands, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 60.9%.

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 Oakridger: Unemployment claims in Tennessee increased last week