Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Georgia dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 3,260 in the week ending June 1, down from 4,238 the week before, the Labor Department said. U.S. unemployment claims rose to 229,000 last week, up 8,000 claims from 221,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis. North Dakota saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 164.7%. Puerto Rico, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 43.6%.