Initial jobless claims rise in Louisiana

Initial claims for unemployment benefits in Louisiana increased last week. The Louisiana Workforce Commission says there were 4,533 first-time claims for the week ending Oct. 31. The previous week, the state took in 4,287 initial claims. A rise in the number of claims from the construction and wood products sectors led to the increase. The number of people who continued to receive benefits — a sign of those still looking for work — rose to 60,755 from the previous week’s 60,492. For the comparable week in 2008, there were 29,097 residents continuing to receive unemployment.