More Americans signed up for unemployment benefits last week bringing totals to 298,000, according to the Labor Department.

The figure was an increase of 17,000 from the previous week.

The highest unemployment rates were in Alaska (4.9), New Jersey (3.1) Puerto Rico (3.1) Pennsylvania (2.9) and California (2.8). Largest increases in claims were Kentucky (+4,151), Ohio (+3,991), Michigan (+2,093), Missouri (+1,739) and Iowa (+1,569).

The total number of persons claiming benefits in all programs was 2.5 million, an increase of over 126,000. In the comparable week a year ago, there were 4.5 million people claiming benefits in all programs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said unemployment rates are lower than a year earlier in 341 of the 372 metropolitan areas.

Employers added 321,000 jobs in November, bringing the total for the first 11 months of 2014 to 2.65 million new jobs. That makes 2014 the best year for hiring since 1999.

To determine the employment rate the U.S. government surveys 390,000 businesses nationwide every month. The raw number is what is used and it is not seasonally adjusted. There are 141 million Americans working, representing 62 percent of the population.

The Department of Labor says wage growth has lagged hiring. Average wages increased only 2.1 percent in the past 12 months. That means that incomes are only barely outpacing inflation, with core consumer prices -- which excludes volatile energy and food costs -- up 1.7 percent over the past 12 months.

There are 21 states which have passed minimum wage increase legislation to go into effect into the New Year. Rhode Island increased minimum wage from $8 to $9 an hour a 12.5 percent increase.  Massachusetts will also rise to $9 an hour, Connecticut to 9.15 an hour. The federal minimum is $7.25 per hour.