Initial Unemployment Claims Rise

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The state labor department says first-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Jan. 10 increased to 3,601 from the previous week's total of 1,814.

For the comparable week a year earlier, there were 3,330 initial claims, officials said Friday.

An increase in initial claims is customary the first week of a new quarter. Also, the previous work week was shorter due to the New Year holiday, and retail employment typically declines following Christmas.

The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, increased to 2,378, from the previous week's average of 2,104.

Continued unemployment claims for the week ending Jan. 10 increased to 22,151 compared to 21,477 the previous week.

The four-week moving average for such claims increased to 21,198 from the previous week's average of 20,741.