Louisiana Gained 26,300 Non-Farm Jobs in 2010

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Louisiana added 26,300 non-farm jobs in 2010 as it continued to plow through a slow economic recovery, state labor officials said.

The state still had 42,200 fewer jobs last month, on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, than in December 2008 – three months after the national economic meltdown began. The state shed an overall 900 jobs from November to December, the Louisiana Workforce Commission reported.

But Louisiana State University economist Loren Scott said the numbers clearly showed that Louisiana’s economy is faring better than its national counterpart, which has been bedeviled by a jobless rate hanging above 9 percent.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the state’s unemployment rate for December was 8 percent, down from 8.2 percent in November. The national unemployment rate for December was 9.4 percent.

The jobless rate was the 19th lowest in the nation and the fifth lowest in the southern region, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. And the state agency said all of 2010’s growth occurred in the private sector, while government jobs declined.

If seasonal adjustments are figured in, the state added jobs for the last seven months of 2010.

Scott said the fact that private sector jobs accounted for all of the increase – while government employment fell – “is a sign of a healthy economy” that largely contradicts the overall national picture.

“We’re getting good growth and more quality growth than the national economy is experiencing,” he said.

Workforce Commission executive director Curt Eysink said the job trend in the second half of 2010 “is a healthy indicator that we are well into a rebound from the effects of the national recession.

In 2010, the state recorded a gain of 6,900 jobs in the goods-producing sectors of manufacturing, mining-logging and construction. Manufacturing increased by 2,400 jobs while mining-logging also added 2,400 – though major petroleum-related sectors were largely flat. Construction increased by 2,100 jobs.

Scott said the petroleum numbers are an indication that a post-oil spill drilling slowdown in the Gulf of Mexico is showing up in employment figures – especially with booming natural gas drilling in northwestern Louisiana.

When compared with two years ago, Louisiana still has 29,400 fewer goods-producing jobs, including 10,800 in construction, 11,300 in construction and 6,300 in mining-logging.

The service-providing sector added 19,400 jobs in 2010. The largest gainer in that sector was in education-health services with 8,800 jobs.

Over two years, the overall service sector has 12,800 fewer jobs.

Government employment fell by 3,300 jobs in 2010. Over two years that category is down by 1,800 jobs in Louisiana.

Among the state’s metropolitan areas, New Orleans gained the most non-farm jobs with 3,500, followed by Shreveport-Bossier City was 2,900, Lafayette with 2,800, Lake Charles with 2,000, and Houma-Thibodaux and Alexandria, with 800 each. Baton Rouge gained 200 jobs in 2010.

Monroe took an employment hit, losing 900 jobs last year.