Unemployment claims in Washington declined last week

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Washington 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 5,811 in the week ending April 19, down from 6,364 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 222,000 last week, up 6,000 claims from 216,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.