ADVOCATE: Jobs increase in Louisiana in March, thanks to gains in Baton Rouge
Louisiana added 9,500 jobs from February to March, with the vast majority of the gains happening in metro Baton Rouge.
There were 1.95 million total nonfarm jobs in March, according to figures recently released by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, compared to 1.94 million jobs in February. The numbers are not seasonally adjusted. The additional jobs caused the unemployment rate to fall even further. The statewide unemployment rate was 3.3% in March, compared to 3.5% in February.
Baton Rouge added 4,300 jobs in March, rising to 422,400 nonfarm jobs. Administrative, support, waste management and remediation services added 1,100 jobs, while there were 1,000 more in leisure and hospitality and 700 more in construction.
Lafayette added 700 jobs in March, going up to 201,800. The number of private service providing jobs increased by 600, while there were 300 more in leisure and hospitality. The number of government jobs dropped by 300.
Lake Charles also added 700 jobs, with 96,100 in March. There were 400 more construction jobs in March than in February.
New Orleans increased by 200 jobs in March, reaching 564,100. Private service providing and professional and business services each added 900 jobs. The number of local government jobs dropped by 700, and ambulatory health care services jobs fell by 300.
Houma-Thibodaux added 700 jobs in March. Hammond increased by 200, Monroe and Alexandria went up by 100 and Shreveport-Bossier City was unchanged.
Louisiana’s civilian labor force was nearly 2.05 million in March, up from 2.03 million in February. The number of unemployed people fell slightly, from 73,962 in February to 69,528.
The unemployment rates in all of the state’s metro areas fell from February.
Lafayette fell from 3.4% to 3.1%, Houma dropped from 3.3% to 3%, Lake Charles also fell from 3.3% to 3%, New Orleans dropped from 3.6% to 3.4%, Baton Rouge was down from 3.1% to 2.9% and Hammond fell from 4.1% to 3.9%.
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