Parishes with the highest unemployment in Louisiana

Stacker
·9 min read

While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of October 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month, and up about 0.2 percentage points from the same time last year. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.7% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.

Stacker compiled a list of parishes with the highest unemployment rates in Louisiana using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Parishes are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in October 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that parish, though some ties may remain. Parish-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

#50. East Baton Rouge Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 237,466 people (7,789 unemployed)

#49. Red River Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,744 people (128 unemployed)

#48. Beauregard Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,640 people (494 unemployed)

#47. Jefferson Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 212,302 people (7,236 unemployed)

#46. East Feliciana Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,052 people (280 unemployed)

#45. Grant Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,315 people (294 unemployed)

#44. Terrebonne Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 43,738 people (1,528 unemployed)

#43. Rapides Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 56,194 people (1,964 unemployed)

#42. Pointe Coupee Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,927 people (358 unemployed)

#41. St. Martin Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,979 people (795 unemployed)

#40. Vermilion Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,975 people (862 unemployed)

#39. Caldwell Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,682 people (136 unemployed)

#38. Jefferson Davis Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,297 people (457 unemployed)

#37. Ouachita Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 70,206 people (2,573 unemployed)

#36. Sabine Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,229 people (350 unemployed)

#35. Lincoln Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,621 people (829 unemployed)

#34. Acadia Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,795 people (901 unemployed)

#33. Evangeline Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,980 people (463 unemployed)

#32. Iberville Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,078 people (543 unemployed)

#31. Natchitoches Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,174 people (663 unemployed)

#30. Catahoula Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,566 people (141 unemployed)

#29. Winn Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,721 people (187 unemployed)

#28. Assumption Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 8,791 people (352 unemployed)

#27. Avoyelles Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,410 people (576 unemployed)

#26. St. Bernard Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 20,176 people (807 unemployed)

#25. Caddo Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 101,335 people (4,080 unemployed)

#24. Allen Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,218 people (334 unemployed)

#23. Richland Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,199 people (338 unemployed)

#22. Vernon Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,242 people (668 unemployed)

#21. Washington Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,375 people (706 unemployed)

#20. Iberia Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 27,436 people (1,116 unemployed)

#19. Tangipahoa Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 56,965 people (2,328 unemployed)

#18. Bienville Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,041 people (212 unemployed)

#17. Claiborne Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,388 people (224 unemployed)

#16. Union Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,176 people (386 unemployed)

#15. De Soto Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,911 people (458 unemployed)

#14. St. Mary Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,616 people (773 unemployed)

#13. St. John the Baptist Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 19,148 people (795 unemployed)

#12. St. Landry Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 31,796 people (1,365 unemployed)

#11. Orleans Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 178,010 people (7,636 unemployed)

#10. St. James Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,989 people (396 unemployed)

#9. Tensas Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 1,305 people (59 unemployed)

#8. Concordia Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,916 people (312 unemployed)

#7. Webster Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,176 people (645 unemployed)

#6. Franklin Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,294 people (338 unemployed)

#5. St. Helena Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,327 people (209 unemployed)

#4. Madison Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,390 people (172 unemployed)

#3. West Carroll Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,432 people (188 unemployed)

#2. Morehouse Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,543 people (524 unemployed)

#1. East Carroll Parish

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,702 people (135 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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