MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — First-time filings for unemployment benefits in South Dakota increased slightly in the latest weekly report from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The department reported 273 initial unemployment insurance claims in South Dakota for the week ending Feb. 7, up from 251 the previous week.

Nationally, seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims totaled 227,000 for the week ending Feb. 7, down 5,000 from the prior week, the Labor Department said.

Initial claims track the number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time and are closely watched as a timely indicator of layoffs.