Unemployment claims in La. drop on the week

First-time claims for unemployment payments dropped 9.7% last week in Louisiana, reversing a 9.6% increase from the week previous. The Louisiana Workforce Commission says there were 3,221 initial claims for the week ending Sept. 24, down from the previous week’s total of 3,567. For the comparable week that ended Sept. 25, 2010, there were 3,680 initial claims. The four-week moving average of initial claims fell slightly to 3,481 last week from the previous week’s average of 3,587. Those still looking for work filed for an additional 42,609 weeks of benefits last week, down from the previous week’s 44,259. For the comparable week of 2010, the jobless filed for an additional 50,940 weeks of benefits.