Going down: Weekly unemployment insurance claims for the week ending April 1 decreased to 2,535 from the previous week’s total of 2,571, according to the latest data from the Louisiana Workforce Commission. For the comparable week a year ago, 2,484 initial claims were filed. The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure of claims, increased to 2,543 from the previous week’s average of 2,426. Continued unemployment insurance weeks claimed for the week ending April 1 decreased to 21,638 from the previous week’s total of 21,759. Continued weeks claimed were below the comparable figure of 21,705 for the week ending April 2, 2016. Read the full report.
Under attack: A rise in dog attacks on mail carriers is being linked to double-digit increases in the U.S. Postal Service’s package business. The Associated Press reports annual figures from the Postal Service show dog attacks on letter carriers rose last year by 206 to 6,755, as consumers increasingly demand seven-day-a-week package delivery and groceries dropped at their doorstep. The figure is the highest in three decades. While U.S. population growth means more residences to deliver to, postal carriers are also visiting homes more frequently and at all times of day, with packages or groceries in hand, thanks to agreements struck with Amazon in 2013 and 2014. FedEx Corp. says it does not collect numbers on dog attacks. Read more.
And another one: Louisiana gained one rig this week, bringing its total tally of rigs actively exploring for oil and gas to 60, up from 59 last week, the latest count from Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes says. The state had 47 rigs at this time one year ago. Nationally, the U.S. rig count rose by 15 this week to 839, up from 824 last week. One year ago, there were 443 active rigs in the U.S. Texas added seven active rigs, the most of all the major oil producing states. Wyoming added two rigs, New Mexico has one extra rig and Alaska lost a rig.
