Last week saw a decrease in the initial filings for unemployment benefits in South Dakota, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Compared with the previous week, there was a noticeable drop in new jobless claims, which serve as an indication of layoffs. The data shows that the claims fell to 416 in the week ending December 9, down from the 476 claims filed the week before. The report further disclosed that U.S. unemployment claims reduced to 202,000 last week, a decrease of 19,000 from the 221,000 claims filed the previous week, after adjusting for seasonal variations. On analyzing the data across different states, Montana reported the most significant percentage increase in weekly claims, with a jump of 47.7%. Conversely, the Virgin Islands saw the largest drop in new claims, with a notable 94.3% decrease. These localized versions of the story are available on the USA TODAY Network’s news sites across the nation, which rely on data sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.