States with the biggest changes in jobless aid applications, and some reasons, at a glance

WASHINGTON – The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell 26,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 323,000, which suggests that layoffs remain low and that companies anticipate continued economic growth.

Here are the states with the biggest increases and decreases in applications. The state-level data are for the week ended Feb. 22, one week behind the national level data:

States with the biggest increases:

Georgia: Up 7,383, due to layoffs in manufacturing, construction, administrative services, accommodations, restaurants and health care and social assistance

Massachusetts: Up 3,502, due to layoffs in education

South Carolina: Up 3,320, due to layoffs in education

Connecticut: Up 1,376, no reason given

Alabama: Up 1,259, due to layoffs in construction and manufacturing

States with the biggest decreases:

California: Down 4,973, due to fewer layoffs in services

Missouri: Down 3,642, due to fewer layoffs in construction, transportation and warehousing, accommodations and restaurants

New York: Down 3,572, due to fewer layoffs in construction, restaurants and retail

Michigan: Down 2,322, due to fewer layoffs in wholesale trade

Oregon: Down 1,810, due to returns to previous trend levels after inclement weather