Louisiana's unemployment rate of 4.3 is at an an 11-year low, according to today's report from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
The report states that job gains in New Orleans pushed employment to its highest level since Hurricane Katrina and employment in Baton Rouge is now at the highest recorded level, Governor John Bel Edwards announced on Friday.
Louisiana gained 5,100 nonfarm jobs over the last month and added 6,200 jobs since this time last year. The private sector added 7,900 jobs since last year, marking 10 consecutive months of over the year gains.
New Orleans and Baton marked their highest levels of nonfarm employment in years; New Orleans since August 2005, Baton Rouge's numbers are highest on record.
In Louisiana, we are now seeing unemployment at a nearly 12-year low, with our private sector adding jobs over the year for each of the past 19 months. And, most excitedly, these jobs numbers show that in New Orleans we have the most people employed since Hurricane Katrina devastated this area in August of 2005. This is amazing economic news not only for this area, but for our state, which is also experiencing its highest GDP and personal income on record. Not to be left out, the BLS data released today shows Baton Rouge has its highest employment on record as well. This is why I am bullish on our future in Louisiana - we are adding jobs, our economy is growing and our people are taking home more money in their paychecks.
Gov. Edwards addressed the news at a press conference on Friday morning at the Superdome. You can stream the press conference here.
Facts about today's Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployment Data:
- Louisiana's unemployment rate is 4.3 percent, which is a near 12-year low and down from 6.1 percent in January 2016.
- Louisiana gained 5,100 nonfarm jobs over the month and added 6,200 jobs since this time last year. The private sector has added jobs over the year for 19 straight months.
- New Orleans has its highest non-farm employment since Hurricane Katrina, at 590,200 people, adding 3,400 jobs over the month and 10,200 jobs over the year.
- Baton Rouge has its highest high non-farm employment on record at 412,600, adding 400 jobs over the month and 2,600 jobs since this time last year.
- Statewide, the education and health services employment reached its highest level ever at 328,400 jobs.
