Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Kentucky 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 1,500 in the week ending May 4, down from 1,706 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 231,000 last week, up 22,000 claims from 209,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Indiana saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 104.1%. Virgin Islands, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 76%.

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 Henderson Gleaner: Unemployment claims in Kentucky declined last week