Claims rise for unemployment benefits

First-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits in Louisiana for the week ending July 7 increased from the previous week's total.

State labor department figures released Friday show initial claims rose to 3,960 from the previous week's total of 3,456. The figure was lower than it was for the comparable week a year earlier, when there were 4,053 initial claims.

The four-week moving average, which is a less volatile measure of claims, decreased to 3,714 from the previous week's total of 3,792.

Continued unemployment claims claimed for the week ending July 7 totaled 35,461, an increase from 35,399 the previous week. The four-week moving average for such claims increased to 35,157 from 34,752.