File/AP PhotoBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Sept. 1 were the lowest since November 2008. However, the state labor department said that's partly because Hurricane Isaac closed state offices starting Aug. 28.
Figures released Friday show initial claims fell to 2,345 from 2,956. That's below 3,878 for the comparable week a year earlier and the lowest since 2,282 on Nov. 29, 2008.
The four-week moving average, a less volatile measurement, fell to 2,738 from 2,955 the previous week.
Continued unemployment claims claimed for the week ending Sept. 1 decreased to 31,512, compared to the previous week's 33,752. It was the lowest since 31,396 for the week ending Dec. 13, 2008.
The four-week moving average for such claims decreased to 33,932 from the previous week's 35,167.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
