Florida posts nation's largest drop in new unemployment insurance claims

Florida is leading the country on the jobless front— in a good way.

Florida posted the largest decrease in new claims for unemployment insurance for the week ended Nov. 7, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday.

The state reported that claims dropped by 1,915 amid fewer job losses in construction, manufacturing and the service sector. It was the sole state to see claims drop by more than 1,000. (Michigan, in contrast, reported the most new claims with 6,001.)

Nationwide, 505,000 new unemployment claims were filed for last week, matching the revised number for the week before. The drop in new claims in recent weeks is fueling optimism that the pace of layoffs has slowed.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Florida posted the decrease for the week ended Nov. 7, not Nov. 14.