Initial filings for unemployment benefits in New York 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 13,017 in the week ending Aug. 2, down from 13,921 the week before, the Labor Department said.
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Unemployment in Lower Hudson Valley went up slightly in June
According to the latest data available from the New York State Department of Labor, unemployment clocked in at 2.9% for Westchester County in June 2025. Reported unemployment rates in Rockland and Putnam were 2.9% and 2.7%, respectively, in June.
That's below the national percentage of 4.1% for June 2025, according to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics. The most recently available data shows that figure dipped slightly in July to 4.2%.
National unemployment claims rose first week of August
U.S. unemployment claims rose to 226,000 last week, up 7,000 claims from 219,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Maine saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 43.6%. Vermont, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 47.9%.
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.
Contributing: USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Unemployment claims in New York declined first week of August 2025
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