Louisiana first-time jobless claims decrease

First-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits in Louisiana for the week ending June 30 decreased from the previous week's total.

State labor department figures released Friday show initial claims fell to 3,456 from the previous week's total of 3,633. The figure was lower than it was for the comparable week a year earlier, when there were 4,169 initial claims.

The four-week moving average, which is a less volatile measure of claims, decreased to 3,792 from the previous week's total of 3,972.

Continued unemployment claims claimed for the week ending June 30 totaled 35,399, an increase from 35,070 the previous week. The four-week moving average for such claims increased to 34,752 from 34,036.