Nonfarm Job Growth Continues in La.

Louisiana gained 69,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs between April 2006 and April 2007, bringing the total number of jobs in the state to 1,905,200, the Louisiana Department of Labor announced recently.

Louisiana’s unemployment rate for April 2007 was 4.3 percent, below the national rate of 4.5 percent. Louisiana’s March unemployment rate was 4.1 percent and the April 2006 revised rate was 3.8 percent.

Louisiana’s civilian labor force – the number of people working and looking for work – for April 2007 decreased to 2,009,996, from 2,016,780, in March 2007. The number of employed in April was 1,923,612, a decrease from 1,934,264 in March. The state’s unemployed for April 2007 increased to 86,384, from 82,516 in March 2007.

Unadjusted unemployment rates compare parishes and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) to the state. The April 2007 unadjusted unemployment rate for Louisiana was 3.7 percent, down from the preliminary March 2007 rate of 3.8 percent.

The unemployment rates for the MSAs were:
–Alexandria, 3.5 percent, down from 3.6 percent in March 2007;
–Baton Rouge, 3.5 unchanged;
–Houma, 2.5, down from 2.7;
–Lafayette, 2.5, down from 2.7; Lake Charles, 3.5, unchanged;
–Monroe, 4.3, up from 4.2;
–New Orleans, 3.8, down from 4.0; and
–Shreveport-Bossier City, 4.0, unchanged.

Lafayette and Lafourche Parishes tied for the lowest unemployment rate at 2.4 percent in April 2007, while East and West Carroll Parishes had the highest rate at 8.5 percent.

Preliminary seasonally adjusted statewide total nonfarm employment for April 2007 was 1,905,200 compared to 1,903,200 for the revised March 2007 figure, for an increase of 2,000 workers. This over the month nonfarm job gain marked the twelfth month in a row of industry employment growth.

The sector breakdown was as follows:
–natural resources and mining, 50,900 employed in April 2007, unchanged from March 2007;
–construction, 135,800, up from 134,900;
–manufacturing, 153,800, down from 155,100;
–trade, transportation, and utilities, 381,100, down from 382,800;
–information, 26,600, up from 25,800;
–financial activities, 97,200, up from 97,100;
–professional and business services, 199,900, up from 199,400;
–educational and health services, 244,300, up from 243,500;
–leisure and hospitality, 191,300, up from 191,000;
–other services, 69,800, up from 69,200; and
–government, 354,500, up from 353,500 last month.

Source: Louisiana Department of Labor, www.LAWORKS.net