Parish workforce numbers decline

The St. Landry Parish workforce dropped by 2.9 percent from January 2016 to January 2015, according to federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In January, there were 32,230 people working and 2,742 people unemployed, which totaled 32,972 people.
In January 2015, there were 30,842 people working and 3,124 unemployed, which totaled 33,966 and 994 more people in the workforce compared to January 2016.
The unemployment rate in January in St. Landry Parish was 8.3 percent, down from 9.2 percent a year ago, but up from 6.9 percent in December.
In Evangeline Parish, the workforce shrank by 4.5 percent from January 2015 to 2016. The workforce totaled 12,603 in January with 11,642 working and 961 unemployed for a 7.6 percent unemployment rate.
In January 2015, the Evangeline Parish workforce totaled 13,190 with 12,122 working and 1,068 unemployed. The January 2015 unemployment rate was 8.1 percent.
Evangeline Parish’s December unemployment rate was 6.3 percent.
In Acadia Parish, the workforce dropped 4.8 percent from January 2015 to January 2016. The workforce totaled 25,293 in January with 23,475 people employed. In January 2015, the workforce totaled 26,578 with 24,789 employed. The January unemployment rate in Acadia Parish was 7.2 percent, up from 6.7 percent a year ago in January and 5.8 percent in December.
The employment numbers are not adjusted for seasonal factors such as weather and holidays.
The state unemployment rate in January was 6.3 percent, up from 5.1 percent in December and down from 7.3 percent in January 2015.
The U.S. January unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, down from 4.8 percent in December and down from 6.1 percent in January 2015.