Tri-Parish, state jobless rates on the rise from a year ago

Tri-Parish unemployment rates in July rose from a year ago with St. Landry Parish having the highest rate at 9.1 percent, up from 8.4 percent in July 2015.
Jobless rates rose as the workforce dropped in numbers.
In St. Landry, Acadia and Evangeline parishes, there were 73,833 people counted by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics as either working or looking for work in July, down from 74,342 a year for a 0.7 percent reduction.
In St. Landry Parish, the workforce totaled 34,403 in July compared to 34,504 in July 2015 for a 0.3 percent decrease.
The St. Landry Parish unemployment rate did drop from 9.3 percent in June to July’s 9.1 percent.
There were 31,264 people working in St. Landry Parish in July, up from 31,621 in July 2015.
Acadia Parish’s July unemployment rate was 8.2 percent, up from 7.1 percent a year ago. There were 23,853 people working in Acadia Parish in July, down from 24,802 in July 2015.
Acadia Parish’s total workforce in July was 25,970, down from 26,702 or 10.9 percent from a year ago.
Evangeline Parish’s July unemployment rate was 8.6 percent, up from 7.9 percent in July 2015. There were 11,847 people working in the parish, down from 12,102 in July 2015 for a 1.3 percent change.
Evangeline Parish’s total workforce was 12,960, down from 13,136 or 1.3 percent in July 2015.
The Tri-Parish July job count tracks the statewide count where both the number of jobs and the number of employed individuals in Louisiana dropped in July.
The state’s civilian labor force lost 8,236 individuals while the unemployment rate was 6.3 percent, up 0.1 percent from June 2016. Nonfarm employment fell by 1,500 jobs statewide led by losses in construction and government.
Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Ava Dejoie said, “The Louisiana Workforce Commission is working tirelessly in coordination with our partners across the state to put people to work in fulfilling, family-sustaining careers.”
The mining and logging sector continued to decline with 19 consecutive months of both over-the-month and over-the-year job losses. Seasonally-adjusted data showed the following for the state’s metropolitan statistical areas:
— Alexandria gained 100 jobs over the month and 200 jobs over the year.
— Baton Rouge gained 600 jobs over the month and 9,500 jobs over the year.
— Houma lost 700 jobs over the month and 3,800 jobs over the year.
— Lake Charles gained 700 jobs over the month and 3,100 jobs over the year.
— Monroe gained 100 jobs over the month and 500 jobs over the year.
— New Orleans lost 300 jobs over the month and gained 3,000 jobs over the year.
The BLS does not report seasonally-adjusted data for Hammond, Lafayette and Shreveport because of changes in those areas’ demographics.
Not-seasonally-adjusted data for July showed:
— Hammond lost 200 jobs over the month and was unchanged over the year.
— Lafayette lost 1,600 jobs over the month and 7,300 jobs over the year.
— Shreveport gained 500 jobs over the month and 300 jobs over the year.
Seasonally-adjusted data are useful for comparisons among states and the nation while not-seasonally-adjusted data are useful for comparing trends in parishes and metropolitan statistical areas, and for comparing them to the state.
Unemployment rates for MSAs, released by the LWC, are only available as not-seasonally-adjusted data. They are as follows:
— Louisiana: 6.9 percent, down from 7 in June and up from 6.6 in July 2015;
— Alexandria: 7.2 percent, unchanged from June and up from 6.8 percent in July 2015;
— Baton Rouge: 5.9 percent, down from 6 percent in June and up from 5.7 percent in July 2015;
— Hammond: 7.8 percent, down from 8 percent in June and up from 7.5 percent in July 2015;
— Houma: 7.2 percent, down from 7.4 percent in June and up from 5.8 percent in July 2015;
— Lafayette: 7.8 percent, down from 8 percent in June and up from 6.6 percent in July 2015;
— Lake Charles: 5.5 percent, down from 5.6 percent in June and from July 2015;
— Monroe: 6.8 percent, down from 7 percent in June and from 6.9 percent in July 2015;
— New Orleans: 6.4 percent, unchanged from June and up from 6.3 percent in July 2015;
— Shreveport: 7.3 percent, down from 7.4 percent in June and up from 7.2 percent in July 2015.