Hurricane Isaac caused a spike in initial claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Sept. 8.
Figures released Friday show initial claims increased to 9,023 from 2,345. That's the most initial claims filed in one week since Hurricanes Gustav and Ike impacted Louisiana in September 2008, resulting in 10,264 first-time claims filed the week ending Sept. 27, 2008.
The four-week moving average, a less volatile measurement, increased to 4,290 from 2,738 the previous week. The Louisiana Workforce Commission says that increase, too, was attributable to Isaac.
Continued unemployment claims claimed for the week ending Sept. 8 increased to 31,895, compared to the previous week's 31,512. The four-week moving average for such claims decreased to 32,906 from the previous week's 33,932.
