New jobless claims, a gauge of layoffs, fell to 5,214 in the week ended Oct. 19, down from 5,702 the previous week, the Labor Department said.

US jobless claims fell to 227,000 last week, down 15,000 from 242,000 the previous week on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Florida saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims increasing by 67.9%. Meanwhile, Nebraska saw the largest percentage drop in new applications, at 47.1 percent.