Unemployment claims in Texas increased last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Texas rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Aug. 28.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 16,907 in the week ending Aug. 23, up from 15,776 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 229,000 last week, down 5,000 claims from 234,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

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 unemploymen