The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits ticked up 1,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 326,000, a level consistent with steady job gains. The figure is close to pre-recession levels and indicates companies are laying off few workers.
Here are the states with the biggest increases and decreases in applications. The state data is for the week that ended Jan. 11, one week behind the national data:
States with the biggest decreases:
New York: Down 18,019, due to fewer layoffs in transportation and warehousing, food services, and education
Georgia: Down 7,278, due to fewer layoffs in manufacturing, administration, construction and hotels and restaurants
Alabama: Down 2,639, due to fewer layoffs in manufacturing, transportation and warehousing
Wisconsin: Down 2,577, no reason given
South Carolina: Down 1,810, due to fewer layoffs in manufacturing
States with the biggest increases:
Texas: Up 12,800, no reason given
California: Up 8,319, due to layoffs in agriculture and wholesale trade
Pennsylvania: Up 7,107, due to more layoffs in construction and administrative support
Indiana: Up 6,622, no reason given
Florida: Up 5,790, due to layoffs in agriculture, construction, manufacturing and retail
