The number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time reached a seasonally adjusted 242,000 last week, its highest total since mid-October and one of the highest weekly totals of 2024.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Maryland rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 2,675 in the week ending December 7, up from 2,176 the week before, the Labor Department said.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Missouri rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 4,002 in the week ending December 7, up from 2,506 the week before, the Labor Department said.