Initial unemployment insurance claims rise for week ending Feb. 24

BATON ROUGE – The initial unemployment insurance claims for the week ending Feb. 24, 2018 rose to 1,893 from the previous week’s total of 1,801. For a comparison, during the week ending Feb. 25, 2017, 2,273 initial claims were filed.

The four-week moving average of initial claims decreased to 2,036 from the previous week’s average of 2,180.

The unemployment insurance continued claims for the week ending Feb. 24, 2018 decreased to 17,610 from the previous week’s total of 17,892. The continued claims were below the comparable figure of 19,955 for the week ending Feb. 25, 2017.

The four-week moving average of continued claims decreased to 18,318 from the previous week’s average of 18,689.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) works to address individual job-search needs via the LWC’s various Business and Career Solution Centers (BCSC) located throughout the state. For instance, Jade Guin, an 18-year-old resident, needed assistance with a job search. After Grant Parish BCSC staff members worked to establish the young man’s goals, they helped him search for jobs that would best fit his needs and his particular skill set. Within a few weeks, Mr. Guin had been hired due to the diligence from BCSC staff.

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 and unemployment insurance claims by industry.

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.