Louisiana Only State to Add Nonfarm Jobs in December 2008

January 29, 2009

Louisiana was the only state in the country with an increase in nonfarm jobs from November to December 2008, the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) announced.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Louisiana gained 3,700 nonfarm jobs over the month and 8,200 since December 2007 to post a seasonally adjusted total of 1.949 million jobs, according to the numbers released Jan. 28. Nonfarm statistics are estimated from an employer-based sample survey by place of work.

Louisiana’s unemployment rate for December 2008 was 5.9 percent, up from the November 2008 revised rate of 5.3 percent and up from the year-ago figure of 4.0 percent. The December 2008 unemployment rate for the United States was 7.2 percent, up from the November 2008 rate of 6.8 percent.

Louisiana’s civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – for December 2008 was 2,061,080, up from the November revised figure of 2,050,068. The number of employed in December was 1,939,131, down from 1,941,515 in November. The number of unemployed in Louisiana in December 2008 increased to 121,949 from 108,553 in November. Civilian labor force statistics are estimated from a residential-based sample survey by place of residence.

The nonfarm employment and civilian labor force numbers are based on surveys conducted during the second week of December.

Unadjusted unemployment rates are used to compare parishes and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) to the state. The December 2008 unadjusted unemployment rate for Louisiana was 5.5 percent, up from the revised November 2008 rate of 5.0 percent. Lafayette Parish had the lowest unemployment rate of 3.6 percent in December 2008; in contrast, East and West Carroll Parishes both had the highest rate of 13.4 percent. Please see page three for the MSA rates.

Preliminary seasonally adjusted statewide total nonfarm employment for December 2008 was 1,949,000 compared to 1,945,300 for the revised November 2008 figure, an increase of 3,700 jobs over the month.

The sector breakdown was as follows: natural resources and mining, 51,200 employed in December 2008, down from 51,700 in November 2008; construction, 140,600, up from 140,300; manufacturing, 153,600, down from 153,900; trade, transportation, and utilities, 385,900, up from 385,100; information, 26,600 up 100 from the previous month; financial activities, 98,000, up from 97,900; professional and business services, 203,700, up from 202,700; educational and health services, 255,000, up from 253,900; leisure and hospitality, 199,000, up from 198,500; other services, 69,200, down from 69,500; and government, 366,200, up 900 over last month.

Five of the eight MSAs posted nonfarm employment gains over the month, two remained unchanged and only the Shreveport-Bossier MSA posted a modest job loss.

Source: Louisiana Workforce Commission, www.LAWORKS.net

Topics Louisiana Talent

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