Jobless claims applications ticked up modestly last week, but the total number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits rose to their highest level in more than three years.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Ohio 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 8,485 in the week ending January 18, down from 13,940 the week before, the Labor Department said.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Michigan 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 18,340 in the week ending January 18, down from 27,365 the week before, the Labor Department said.

Here's a look at how weekly unemployment claims changed in North Carolina last week compared with the week prior.