The U.S. Department of Labor reported that initial filings for unemployment benefits in Kansas increased during the week ending December 16, moving from 1,320 to 1,457 compared to the previous week. The report also highlighted that U.S. unemployment claims grew to 205,000, a rise of 2,000 from the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis. The state with the highest percentage increase in weekly claims was Oklahoma, with a leap of 71.3%, whereas Vermont saw the most substantial percentage decrease in new claims, dropping by 34%.