Louisiana has more employed workers than ever before, but many jobs still available

William Taylor Potter, Lafayette Daily Advertiser
·4 min read
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Louisiana had more workers and the lowest unemployment rate in state history in June 2022, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

Statewide, Louisiana's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.8%, and the state also totaled more than 2 million employed workers, adding nearly 4,000 from May. LWC Secretary Ava Cates said the all-time high for employment was a positive sign even as the state continues to deal with the impacts of inflation and rising costs.

“From gas to groceries, the cost of everything is going up and it’s exciting to see more Louisianians working than ever before,” Cates said in a release. “As our workforce continues to grow in strength and skill, we have to continue investing in it to ensure people have the resources they need to maintain not just jobs, but family-thriving careers.”

The unemployment rate fell 0.2 percentage points from May and has fallen 2 percentage points since June 2021. The seasonally adjusted rate has fallen over the year for 16 consecutive months and has not seen a month-to-month increase since April 2020, early on into the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Re-Entry Job Fair is a job fair targeting people who have previously been incarcerated and was held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Lafayette. Thursday, July 25, 2019.
The Re-Entry Job Fair is a job fair targeting people who have previously been incarcerated and was held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Lafayette. Thursday, July 25, 2019.

Since June 2021, the number of employed individuals has risen by more than 77,700. The number of unemployed people fell by nearly 3,700 from May to June and has fallen by more than 41,000.

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The low unemployment rate has been the result of several combined factors, with gains in employment being one of them. The state, like many others, has also seen many leave the labor force, with Louisiana seeing tens of thousands quit their jobs in each of the last few months,

The state has not seen its labor force participation rate increase at the same pace. The rate, which measures people aged 16 to 64 that are working or seeking work, was at 59% in June 2022, which was around the same as May. Since June 2021, the rate has risen by a little less than 1 percentage point.

The state still has thousands of unfilled positions isted on the Louisiana Workforce Commission's website. In June, the state still had high numbers of job openings, according to the BLS data.

“There are good opportunities out there for job seekers, and LWC is here to connect them with the resources they need to land the job,” Cates said. “Job fairs and hiring events are constantly taking place around the state, and employers are eager to hire.”

Several industries saw significant gains over the last month, with manufacturing leading the way with 900 more jobs since May. Education and health services added 500 , and other services added 600.

Since June 2021, the leisure and hospitality industry has added 12,200 jobs across the state. Professional and business services companies have added 9,000 positions, and manufacturers have added 6,800 over the year.

Most of the state's nine metropolitan areas saw little movement in their jobs numbers from May to June, but the majority have seen growth over the last year. Hammond's employed total rose 0.2%, as did the Shreveport-Bossier City area's. Since June 2021, Hammond's job total has risen 1.5%, and Shreveport-Bossier's has risen 3.1%.

Alexandria, Houma-Thibodaux and Monroe all saw their total number of employed people stay the same from May to June. Alexandria's employment count has increased 2.6% since June 2021, and Monroe's has risen 0.8%.

The Houma-Thibodaux area is the only one that has lost jobs since June 2021 with a decline of 3.1%.

Baton Rouge's total fell by 0.8% from May to June, while New Orleans's count fell 0.4%. Baton Rouge's job total increased 2% since June 2021, and the New Orleans area saw positions rise 1.1%.

Lake Charles saw its employment numbers fall slightly, around 0.1%, from May to June, but it has had the largest percent-increase since June 2021 in the state with 5%. Lafayette saw the smallest decline from May to June with a drop of 0.05%, but its growth since June 2021 is around 2.8%.

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This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana employment reaches all-time high, data says