Weekly applications for US unemployment benefits dropped sharply last week to a five-year low, a sign that layoffs have declined. But much of the drop was due to seasonal volatility in the data. The figures are typically uneven in January as retailers, restaurants and other companies lay off thousands of seasonal employees. The broader trend will become clearer in the coming weeks.
Here are the states with the biggest increases and decreases in applications. The state-level data is for the week ended Jan. 5, one week behind the national figures:
States with the biggest decreases:
Michigan: Down 12,536, due to fewer layoffs in construction
New Jersey: Down 5,530, due to fewer layoffs in education, construction and manufacturing
Oregon: Down 5,471, no reason given
Ohio: Down 4,915, due to fewer layoffs in manufacturing
Kentucky: Down 4,257, no reason given
Wisconsin: Down 4,226, no reason given
States with the biggest increases:
New York: Up 37,189, due to layoffs in transportation, construction and educational support services
Georgia: Up 15,354, due to layoffs in manufacturing, administrative support, construction and healthcare
North Carolina: Up 13,606, due to layoffs in textiles, business services, construction, furniture and transportation equipment
California: Up 8,691, due to layoffs in services and agriculture
Texas: Up 8,669, due to layoffs in manufacturing, transportation and warehousing