Unemployment rate falls or remains unchanged in September for most Louisiana MSAs

New data for September on not-seasonally-adjusted employment in Louisiana show unemployment rates dropped in seven of the state’s nine metropolitan statistical areas from the same period a year ago.
The report issued today by the Louisiana Workforce Commission shows the Baton Rouge and Lake Charles areas led the state in job growth since September last year. The Lafayette and Houma MSAs, where low oil prices have negatively impacted employment, experienced increases in unemployment rates from the previous month and from September 2014.
Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Curt Eysink said, “The Baton Rouge and southwest Louisiana areas continue to drive statewide job growth. However, the increases in those areas are somewhat offset by declines in Lafayette and Houma, where the effect of continuing low crude oil prices is most evident, and by soft job markets in New Orleans, Shreveport, Alexandria and Monroe.”
Not-seasonally-adjusted data are a snapshot of Louisiana’s employment picture and are not adjusted for seasonal employment factors. The data, which are available at www.laworks.net, are useful for comparing trends in parishes and metropolitan statistical areas and for comparing these local areas to the state as a whole.
The report shows the state’s total civilian labor force declined by 32,177 individuals in September from a year ago. The total nonfarm labor force was about flat at 1,986,400 people, up only 100 from September 2014.
Nonfarm employment sectors that showed the biggest job losses compared with September 2014 included mining and logging, including oil and gas, down 8,800; government, down 6,000; trade, transportation, and utilities, down 4,500; and construction, down 1,700.
Showing improvement during the same period were education and health services, up 8,800 jobs; professional and business services; up 5,600; leisure and hospitality, up 4,800; and financial services, up 1,300.
Not-seasonally-adjusted September unemployment rates and over-the-year nonfarm job change totals for the state and the nine MSAs are as follows:
• Statewide: 6.2 percent, down from 6.3 percent in August and 6.9 percent in September 2014. Up 100 jobs.
• Alexandria: 6.5 percent, unchanged from August and down from 7.4 percent in September 2014. Down 400 jobs.
• Baton Rouge: 5.3 percent, down from 5.5 percent in August and 6.3 percent in September 2014. Up 6,700 jobs.
• Hammond: 6.9 percent, down from 7.1 percent in August and 8 percent in September 2014. Up 500 jobs.
• Houma: 5.6 percent, up from 5.4 percent in August and 5.2 percent in September 2014. Down 2,000 jobs.
• Lafayette: 6.3 percent, up from 6.2 percent in August and 5.8 percent in September 2014. Down 3,700 jobs.
• Lake Charles: 5.3 percent, unchanged from August and down from 6.4 percent in September 2014. Up 3,800 jobs.
• Monroe: 6.6 percent, down from 6.8 percent in August and 7.6 percent in September 2014. Down 900 jobs.
• New Orleans: 6.1 percent, unchanged from August and down from 7.1 percent in September 2014. Down 1,400 jobs.
• Shreveport: 6.9 percent, unchanged from August and down from 7.7 percent in September 2014. Down 1,700 jobs.
On Oct. 20, the LWC reported that seasonally adjusted data compiled by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics showed nonfarm employment set a September monthly record and the state’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6 percent from August. Seasonally adjusted data are useful for comparisons among states and the nation.