Initial unemployment claims in Louisiana dropped last week from 16,340 to 12,004, a roughly 26% decrease, according to the latest figures from the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
Despite the week-over-week decline, initial claims remain significantly higher than last year, when, during the same week, they totaled just 1,878.
The four-week moving average of initial claims rose to 18,552 from the previous week’s average of 17,612.
Meanwhile, continued claims for the week ending Jan. 23 increased to 64,916, up 1.6% from 63,888 the week before. Continued claims were also above the comparable figure of 15,500 for the week ending Jan. 25, 2020.
Furthermore, the four-week moving average of continued claims jumped to 69,745 from the previous week’s average of 68,677.
