Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Kentucky saw a decrease last week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The number of new jobless claims fell to 1,790 in the week ending December 9, a significant drop from 5,490 the week prior. Nationwide, unemployment claims went down to 202,000 last week, which is a decrease of 19,000 claims from the prior week. Some regions saw more significant changes than others - Montana experienced the largest percentage increase in weekly claims with a rise of 47.7%, whereas Virgin Islands saw the highest percentage drop in new claims at 94.3%. The changes in unemployment claims are being formally documented and published by the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report, which is a reliable source of data on the subject.