The number of people filing initial applications for unemployment benefits in New York state fell 5 percent to 17,156 in the week ending Aug. 16, from 18,073 the week before.
The decline in initial jobless claims, which signals a slowdown in layoffs in the Empire State, comes one week after claims had jumped 12 percent in the state, according to U.S. Department of Labor data issued today.
The number of people continuing to receive unemployment-insurance benefits in New York also dipped in the most-recent week to 185,414, from 185,747 in the prior week, according to the Labor Department data. It’s the fifth weekly decrease in a row for that measure.
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The state data is not seasonally adjusted.
Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com