New jobless claims, a gauge of layoffs, rose to 9,986 in the week ended Oct. 26 from 9,670 the previous week, the Labor Department said.

US jobless claims fell to 216,000 last week, down 12,000 from 228,000 the previous week on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Alaska saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims increasing by 63.0%. North Carolina, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims at 45.5 percent.