State jobless rate rose in June

Nonfarm jobs in Louisiana rose by 2,000 in June, according to seasonally-adjusted data released today by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, while Baton Rouge had the largest jobs increase for June in the history of that series.
Over-the-month job gains in education and health services, government and manufacturing helped offset losses in professional and business services and mining and logging, the latter of which continued its 18-consecutive-month streak of over-the-year and over-the-month job losses.
The state’s unemployment rate fell to 6.2 percent with 913 fewer unemployed individuals from May to June.
“The diversity of the state’s economy is helping our citizens weather this continued downturn in oil and gas employment,” said Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Ava Dejoie. “We encourage job-seekers to sign up on our HiRE (Helping Individuals Reach Employment) website, the state’s most robust and comprehensive job-searching tool incorporating more than 20,000 partnering job sites.”
Seasonally-adjusted data showed the following for the state’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs):
• Alexandria was unchanged over the month and gained 300 jobs over the year.
• Baton Rouge gained 3,800 jobs over the month and gained 10,400 jobs over the year.
• Houma was unchanged over the month and lost 4,100 jobs over the year.
• Lake Charles gained 600 jobs over the month and 2,900 jobs over the year.
• Monroe was unchanged over the month and gained 300 jobs over the year.
• New Orleans gained 1,700 jobs over the month and 2,400 jobs over the year.
The bureau does not report seasonally-adjusted data for Hammond, Lafayette and Shreveport because of changes in those areas’ demographics. Not-seasonally-adjusted data for June showed:
• Hammond lost 400 jobs over the month and was unchanged over the year.
• Lafayette lost 200 jobs over the month and 6,900 jobs over the year.
• Shreveport gained 200 jobs over the month and lost 1,200 jobs over the year.
Seasonally-adjusted data are useful for comparisons among states and the nation. Not-seasonally-adjusted data are useful for comparing trends in parishes and metropolitan statistical areas, and for comparing them to the state.