The U.S. Department of Labor has reported a decrease in initial filings for unemployment benefits in Utah. The number of new jobless claims, a measure of layoffs, reportedly fell to 939 in the week ending on December 30, down from 1,138 from the previous week. Meanwhile, nationwide, unemployment claims dropped to 202,000 during the last week, a decrease of 18,000 claims from 220,000 the week before, based on seasonally adjusted figures. Significant fluctuations were also noted in some areas. Rhode Island experienced the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with an 85.2% rise, while the Virgin Islands saw the largest percentage decrease with claims falling by 78.3%.