Louisiana Private Sector Jobs Grow 39,500 Over the Year

Louisiana’s private sector employment grew 2.6 percent from July 2011 to July 2012, adding 39,500 jobs. July was the 23rd straight month with over-the-year private sector job growth in Louisiana.

Louisiana’s percentage job growth in the private sector ranks ninth nationally.

Private sector jobs in the state totaled 1,584,600 in July, according to estimates by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from its most recent monthly survey of employers. Total nonfarm employment for July was 1,942,600 on a seasonally adjusted basis, up 40,800 jobs from July 2011.

A separate BLS survey of households shows the civilian labor force — the number of people working plus those looking for work — grew by 27,999 over the year to a seasonally adjusted total of 2,080,490. This is the second highest level since November 2005 when the civilian labor force stood at 2,109,156.

Other estimates from the same survey of households show the number of people employed statewide increased on a seasonally adjusted basis by 20,053 over the year, and the number of unemployed increased by 7,946.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate — the proportion of the civilian labor force who are unemployed — increased 0.1 percent over the month to 7.6 percent, which was below the regional rate for the South of 7.9 percent. The national unemployment rate increased to 8.3 percent in July.

Last year, BLS implemented a new method to estimate nonfarm employment that greatly reduces state input into the results. The effect has been greater variability from one month to the next, particularly in figures for areas smaller than the state, such as metropolitan statistical areas, and for industry sectors or subsectors.

Not seasonally adjusted estimates for MSAs and parishes will be released on Aug. 24.

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