First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Aug. 23 decreased from the previous week’s total.

The state labor department figures released Friday show the initial claims decreased to 2,268 from the previous week’s total of 2,342.

For the comparable week a year earlier, there were 2,505.

The four-week moving average, which is a less volatile measure of claims, decreased to 2,317 from the previous week’s total of 2,328.

Continued unemployment claims claimed for the week ending Aug. 23 decreased to 22,027 compared to 22,393 the previous week.

The four-week moving average for such claims decreased to 22,649 from the previous week’s average of 22,993.