Initial unemployment insurance claims rise for week ending July 1

BATON ROUGE – Initial unemployment insurance claims for the week ending July 1, 2017 increased to 2,969 from the previous week’s total of 2,959. For the comparable week a year ago, ending July 2, 2016, 2,871 initial claims were filed.

The four-week moving average of initial claims increased to 2,938 from the previous week’s average of 2,937.

Continued unemployment insurance weeks claimed for the week ending July 1, 2017 increased to 24,314 from the previous week’s total of 23,886. Continued weeks claimed were below the comparable figure of 27,224 for the week ending July 2, 2016.

The four-week moving average of continued weeks claimed increased to 23,700 from the previous week’s average of 23,313.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) does its best to ensure those able to contribute to the state economy in a family-sustaining career are able to do so. According to recent data released from the Bureau of Labor & Statistics (BLS), not-seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs increased by 12,300 from April. This brings the new total for May to 1,987,100. This figure represents the largest over-the-month gain for the month of May since 2006.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) has countless tools both in person and online to help claimants file and process their claims. This is in addition to the agency’s 59 local offices statewide, job fairs, training programs, apprenticeship opportunities and numerous other services.

Updates to the LWC’s unemployment information processing system are still being implemented. As a result, the following data are not currently available: the break-out of interstate claims, Louisiana unemployment insurance claimants' parish of residence, unemployment insurance claims by industry and UI claimants who have received at least one check during the reference month in Louisiana. Additionally, all reported numbers on initial and continued claims are estimates.

For more detailed information on occupational groups of unemployment insurance claimants, visit www.laworks.net and select Labor Market Information.

The Unemployment Insurance (UI) Weekly Claims Data webpage includes the following: UI Weekly Claims Data by Regional Labor Market Area and by Parish, UI Weekly Claims Data by Industry for Louisiana, UI Definition and UI Monthly Claimant Characteristics by Parish. To access these products, select Labor Market Information at www.laworks.net, scroll down the LMI page to the LMI Products section, and select Unemployment Insurance Claims.