But company gains market share: Record sales of its fuel-efficient Fusion helped Ford grab a bigger slice of the U.S. car market in April, even as its overall sales dropped 32%. The gains could come at the expense of its Detroit rivals, which are struggling to attract buyers soured by shrinking incomes and auto bankruptcy worries. Other automakers, including General Motors and Chrysler, report April sales later today. Nissan Motor Co. reported a 38% drop in its sales. Subaru broke a streak of sales increases, reporting a 6.7% decline in volumes for April, hurt by a drop in volumes of its Outback wagon and Impreza sedan. The Japanese automaker had been bucking brutal trends in the auto market. It was the only major automaker to report a sales increase in 2008.
Still above 2008 numbers: Initial claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana fell 18% last week from the previous week, says the Louisiana Workforce Commission. For the week ending April 25, there were 4,478 initial claims for jobless benefits. That’s down from 5,448 the previous week, but well above the 2,581 recorded for the comparable week ending April 28, 2008. Continued benefits increased from 47,377 to 47,936 for the latest week. That compares with 20,563 claims for the comparable week of 2008.
