New York’s jobless claims fall 12 percent in latest week

The number of people filing initial applications for unemployment benefits in New York state declined more than 12 percent to 17,208 in the week ending July 26, from 19,583 the week before.

Fewer layoffs in the transportation and warehousing, educational service, and health care and social assistance industries, led the decline, according to a U.S. Department of Labor news release issued Thursday.

New York posted the third-largest decrease in first-time unemployment claims among all states, behind only Michigan and Ohio, according to the Labor Department data.

It’s the second straight week that initial jobless claims have declined in New York, with claims plunging by half in the prior week.

This signals a decline in layoffs by Empire State employers after a rise in pink slips in late June and early July.

The number of people continuing to receive unemployment-insurance benefits in New York also fell in the most-recent week to 189,245, from 193,395 in the prior week, according to the Labor Department data. It’s the second weekly decrease in a row.

The state data is not seasonally adjusted.

Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com