More people applied for unemployment benefits last week, suggesting that layoffs are still elevated. Still, the four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell to the lowest level since mid-April. Overall, the report suggests the economy is creating jobs but not nearly enough to lower the high unemployment rate.
Here are states with some of the biggest changes in applications. The data below is for the week ending Aug. 6, one week behind the national data:
States with the biggest increases:
California: Up 7,848, due to layoffs in the service industry
Texas: Up 1,374, due to layoffs in the service, manufacturing, and transportation industries
North Carolina: Up 1,176, due to layoffs in the leather, furniture, and service industries
State with the biggest drop:
Florida: Down 2,580, due to fewer layoffs in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, services and retail