Unemployment rates drop, so do job numbers

Unemployment rates in the Tri-Parish dropped in December, but the decline was accompanied by a loss of jobs, according to not-seasonally-adjusted data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
St. Landry Parish’s jobless rate was 6.7 percent in December, down from 7.9 percent in December 2014.
During the same time, the number of people working in St. Landry Parish dropped from 31,657 in December 2014 to 30,851 in December 2015— a loss of 806 people employed.
The same drop in the unemployment rate accompanied by a decrease in people working occurred in Evangeline and Acadia parishes as well as in the state.
In Evangeline Parish, the December unemployment rate was 6.3 percent, down from 6.9 percent in December 2014. The number of people working in December in Evangeline Parish was 11,816, down from 12,467 a year ago in December for a reduction in the number of people employed of 651.
The December unemployment rate in Acadia Parish was 5.6 percent, down from 5.7 percent a year ago in December. The number of people employed dropped from 25,556 to 24,550 — a decline of 1,006.
Louisiana’s unemployment rate in December was 5 percent, down from 6.5 percent a year ago in December. There were 2,513,000 few people employed in the state in December compared to December 2015. The total number of people working in December was 2,003,299, down from 2,039,282 a year ago in December.
Not-seasonally-adjusted December unemployment rates and over-the-year nonfarm job change totals for the state and the nine MSAs are as follows:
— Statewide: 5.0 percent, down from 5.8 percent in November and down from 6.5 percent in December 2014. Down 17,900 jobs.
— Alexandria: 5.2 percent, down from 6.0 in November and down from 6.9 percent in December 2014. Down 1,000 jobs.
— Baton Rouge: 4.2 percent, down from 4.9 percent in November and down from 5.9 percent in December 2014. Up 8,800 jobs.
— Hammond: 5.7 percent, down from 6.5 percent in November and down from 7.6 percent in December 2014. Down 300 jobs.
— Houma: 4.9 percent, down from 5.6 percent in November and unchanged from December 2014. Down 3,600 jobs.
— Lafayette: 5.4 percent, down from 6.3 percent in November and unchanged from December 2014. Down 5,500 jobs.
— Lake Charles: 4.3 percent, down from 4.8 in November and down from 5.8 percent in December 2014. Up 2,300 jobs.
— Monroe: 5.2 percent, down from 6.1 percent in November and down from 7.2 percent in December 2014. Down 1,200 jobs.
— New Orleans: 4.7 percent, down from 5.6 percent in November and down from 6.4 percent in December 2014. Down 900 jobs.
— Shreveport: 5.5 percent, down from 6.4 percent in November and down from 7.1 percent in December 2014. Down 3,000 jobs.
In December to November comparisons:
Acadia Parish’s December unemployment rate of 5.6 percent was down from 6.5 percent in November.
In Evangeline Parish, the December jobless rate of 6.3 percent was down from 7.1 percent in November.
In St. Landry Parish, the December unemployment rate of 6.7 percent was down from 7.6 percent in November.
The nation’s December unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, down from 5.4 percent in December 2014. The number of people employed in the nation in December was 2,003,299, a gain of 2,513,000 over the number employed in December 2014.