Under pressure: First-time claims for jobless benefits rose 6.7% last week in Louisiana. The Louisiana Workforce Commission reports 3,141 initial claims for the week ending April 7. That’s up from the previous week’s 2,945. The four-week moving average of claims—considered a less volatile measure of joblessness—increased slightly to 2,947 from 2,936. For the comparable week ending April 9, 2011, the state recorded 4,201 first-time claims. Last week, those still looking for jobs filed for an additional 33,168 weeks of payments, down slightly from 34,204 the previous week. For the comparable week of 2011, the unemployed filed for 42,678 additional weeks.
Rig by rig: The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States is down by 29 this week to 1,950. Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. reports today that 1,322 rigs were exploring for oil and 624 for natural gas. Four were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago this week Baker Hughes reported 1,772 active rigs. Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Louisiana lost the most: nine rigs. Texas lost seven; Oklahoma lost six; and Alaska, Colorado, North Dakota and Pennsylvania each lost one. Arkansas, California, New Mexico, West Virginia and Wyoming were unchanged. The rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.
There’s a world going on underground: The State Mineral and Energy Board says it collected more than $834,000 in bonuses from its April lease sale, bringing total collections this fiscal year-to-date to approximately $23.8 million. The monthly meeting and lease sale was held in Baton Rouge on Wednesday. The board awarded 12 leases covering more than 2,526 acres this month, out of 17 nominated tracts covering more than 10,428 acres. It says leases were sold in Calcasieu, Cameron, Plaquemines, St. Mary and Vernon parishes. Of the 12 leases awarded, one was in north Louisiana and 11 were located in the southern parishes.
