Initial filings for unemployment benefits in North Carolina 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 3,076 in the week ending August 23, down from 3,192 the week before, the Labor Department said.

Virgin Islands saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 62.5%. Iowa, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 50.2%.

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 .

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