unemployment

Still, wage gains have been sluggish since the Great Recession ended in 2009, and consumers remain cautious.

Employers are searching for more workers. In June, they advertised the most monthly job openings in more than 13 years, the government reported Tuesday.

The four-week moving average for such claims increased to 23,197 from the previous week's average of 23,014.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending July 19 decreased from the previous week's total.

Employers are adding jobs at a healthy clip and the unemployment rate is at a 5 1/2-year low.

Last Friday, the Labor Department said employers added 217,000 jobs in May as the unemployment rate held steady at 6.3 percent.

Continued unemployment weeks claimed for the week ending May 24 increased to 18,948 compared to 18,517 the previous week.

The number of recipients declined to 2.63 million, the lowest level since November 2007.

The four-week moving average, which is a less volatile measure of claims, increased to 2,188 from the previous week's average of 2,125.

The four-week moving average, which is a less volatile measure of claims, increased to 2,045 from the previous week's average of 1,985.

Lafayette has a "strong growing economy," but it is becoming "increasingly difficult" for businesses to find skilled employees, according to Jason El Koubi, president of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.

Without action by Congress, thousands more each week would feel the impact as their state-funded benefits expire, generally after 26 weeks.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Dec. 21 decreased from the previous week's total.

The economy has now generated an average of 204,000 jobs from August through November.

The four-week moving average for such claims decreased to 22,708 from the previous week's average of 23,927.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people applying for U.S. unemployment benefits jumped by 66,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 374,000. But the spike was largely because California processed a huge backlog of claims and the partial government shutdown prompted some contractors to cut jobs...

Louisiana saw the second-highest percentage payroll growth during the month behind Nevada.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Aug. 31 have dropped from the previous week's total.

Weekly applications have fallen 10 percent since January.

The Labor Department says the four-week average, which smooths out weekly fluctuations, fell 1,250 to 345,250.