Claims decrease: First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Dec. 5 decreased from the previous week’s total. The Associated Press reports the state labor department figures released Friday show the initial claims fell to 2,414 from the previous week’s total of 2,554. For the comparable week a year earlier, there were 2,796. The four-week moving average, which is a less volatile measure of claims, increased to 2,642 from the previous week’s total of 2,490. Continued unemployment claims for the week ending Dec. 5 decreased to 21,501 compared to 23,143 the previous week. The four-week moving average for such claims decreased to 21,460 from the previous week’s average of 21,692.
Moving on: Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards is officially resigning from the state House of Representatives, The Associated Press reports. Edwards is a Tangipahoa Parish Democrat who was first elected to the House from District 72 in 2007. He will be sworn in as governor on Jan. 11. Edwards resigned from the House, effective immediately, in a letter this week to Speaker Chuck Kleckley. His office said Friday that he resigned to devote his attention to the transition that is underway as he prepares to take over from Gov. Bobby Jindal. Robby Carter, a Democrat who was elected to succeed Edwards in the House, will be sworn in next month.
No movement: The number of rigs exploring for oil and gas in Louisiana stayed the same this week from last week, while the number of rigs in the U.S. dropped by 28 to 709, according to Houston-based Baker Hughes. The numbers show Louisiana gained two land rigs, one in north Louisiana and one in south Louisiana, but lost two offshore rigs. This week last year, Louisiana had 113 rigs and the U.S. had 1,893. The number of rigs in Louisiana dropped to the mid-80s in March to the 70s in April, where it has stayed for most of the year until October when the number dipped into the 60s. Today’s numbers were released as the price of crude oil continues to spiral, to around $35 per barrel as of about 2 p.m., after dropping below $40 a barrel Sunday.
