First-time jobless claims slide in Louisiana

First-time claims for unemployment benefits in Louisiana dropped 10.3%. The Louisiana Workforce Commission says there were 3,661 first-time applicants during the week that ended Saturday. That’s down from the tally of 4,083 for the week ending Sept. 4. For the comparable week ending Sept. 12, 2009, there were 4,280 initial benefit claims. The four-week moving average of first-time claims dropped to 4,003 from 4,085. There were 51,902 weeks of additional jobless benefits for the week ending Saturday. That’s a reduction from 54,265 for the week ending Sept. 4. For the comparable week a year ago, those looking for work claimed an additional 59,558 weeks of benefits.