Roundup: Louisiana jobless claims / Consumer spending / Financial literacy

Slight bump: Louisiana initial unemployment claims rose to 1,792 for the week ending May 30 from the previous week’s 1,694, according to data from Louisiana Works. However, claims remained well below the 2,131 filed during the same period last year. Meanwhile, continued unemployment claims rose to 6,501, up from 6,290 the prior week.

Still strong: U.S. consumer spending remains resilient, continuing to support economic growth even as prices stay elevated and household savings decline. Many Americans are increasingly dipping into savings to maintain their spending, highlighting a growing gap between spending levels and income growth. Economists say higher-income households are responsible for much of the spending while financial strain builds for lower and middle-class families. The Washington Post has the full story. 

Learn and earn: The Knock Knock Children’s Museum’s “Earn & Learn” Financial Literacy Weekend turns money lessons into hands-on play, where children complete real-world themed activities like running shops, working jobs and making spending choices to earn tokens they can later use. The event is in partnership with the Society of Louisiana CPAs and uses interactive learning zones to teach kids basic concepts like earning, saving, budgeting and distinguishing between wants and needs. It is designed to build early financial skills in a fun, immersive environment that connects play with real-life money decision-making. 225 has the full story.