How states fared on US unemployment benefit claims

WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for U.S. unemployment benefits rose 68,000 to a seasonally adjusted 368,000 last week.

It’s the biggest increase in first-time applications in more than a year, a troubling sign if the trend lasts. But the increase likely reflects the difficulty adjusting for delays after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Here are the states with the biggest increases and decreases in applications. The state data are for the week ended Nov. 23, one week behind the national figures:

States with increases:

Wisconsin: Up 4,420, no reason given

Ohio: Up 2,597, due to layoffs in manufacturing and financial services

Kentucky: Up 1,538, no reason given

States with decreases:

California: Down 19,920, due to fewer layoffs in the services sector

Texas: Down 7,284, no reason given

Florida: Down 5,400, due to fewer layoffs in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade

Pennsylvania: Down 5,145, due to fewer layoffs in construction, scientific services, health care, retail, and social services

Nevada: Down 3,295, no reason given

Michigan: Down 2,567, due to fewer layoffs in management