La. unemployment hits two-year low

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 6.9% in September, the lowest rate since July 2009, according to a report by the Louisiana Workforce Commission released today. The state's unemployment rate in August was 7.2% and in September last year was 7.7%. Louisiana has now posted 12 consecutive months of year-over-year gains in employment, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment tallied 1,927,500 jobs in September, reflecting an over-the-year increase of 44,900 nonfarm jobs. The state added 14,100 nonfarm jobs from August to September, 9,100 of them in the private sector. Louisiana was one of 25 states in the nation to notch a decrease in the unemployment rate in September. The state's 6.9% rate is the 13th lowest in the nation, tied with Minnesota, and the third lowest in the Southern region—which averaged 9.1% unemployment in September. An employer survey showed industry sectors with annual job gains were: education and health services, up 18,700 jobs on the year to 291,000; manufacturing, up 8,100 to 144,100; trade, transportation and utilities, up 7,300 to 370,400; construction, up 4,700 to 125,800; leisure and hospitality, up 3,300 to 198,100; mining and logging, up 1,900 to 54,500; financial activities, up 1,900 to 95,100; information, up 1,200 to 29,200; and professional and business services, up 800 to 195,100. In addition to 2,200 job losses in government, annual declines were also seen in the "other services" category, down 800 to 65,300. See more details about today's report on the Louisiana Workforce Commission website here.

comments powered by Disqus