aSalle Parish’s unemployment rate continues to be among the lowest in the state as April figures released last week showed the parish had a 2.6% jobless rate, up from 2.3% in March, but still tied for the second lowest unemployment rate in all of Louisiana.

West Feliciana Parish took over the top spot in the state from LaSalle as it recorded a 2.3% unemployment rate.

LaSalle was tied with Cameron and Ascension parishes who each had 2.6% unemployment rates.

LaSalle had held the title of the lowest unemployment rate in the state since the beginning of the Covid pandemic in early 2020. Prior to that, the parish typically had the lowest unemployment rate north of I-10, but seldom the lowest in the entire state.

Across the state, Red River, Lafayette, St. Tammany, LaFourche, and Bossier each had rates of 2.8%.

Neighboring parishes of LaSalle had the following rates: Rapides, 3.0%; Grant, 3.1%; Caldwell, 3.7%; Catahoula, 4.0%; and Winn, 4.1%.

By contrast, the Louisiana “not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate” was 3.6%, up from its April number of 3.5%.

The number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals was estimated to be 75,796, the lowest figure for the month of April in the series. Since March 2023, the number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 168 from 75,964. Compared to March 2022, the number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 244. “LWC’s partnerships with employers have enabled us to host job fairs almost daily across the month, helping Louisianans reach employment and keeping those numbers on the rise.” said Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Cates.

Since March 2023, the number of not seasonally adjustedemployedindividualshasdecreased by 2,318 to 2,043,806 in April 2023. This is the highest number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals for the month of April and the second-highestfigureinserieshistory.Compared to April 2022, the number of not seasonally adjusted employedindividualsincreasedby24,865. Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April 2023 is 3.2 percent. This is tied for the lowest rate in series history. The rate shows a drop of 0.1 percentage points from March 2023 and no change from April 2022. Since March 2023, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals has decreased by 1,819 to 67,677 in April 2023. This is the second- fewest number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals for April and the fifthlowest number in series history. Compared to April 2022, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals increased by 543. Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment for April 2023 is 1,961,700, an increase of 12,800 jobs from the revised March 2023 estimate of 1,948,900 jobs. Compared to April 2022, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 47,000 jobs. This shows over-the-month employment gains in nine of the last ten months and 25 consecutive months with an over-the-year gain. Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted total private employment for April 2023 is 1,641,700, an increase of 9,600 jobs from the March 2023 revised estimate of 1,632,100. Compared to April 2022, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 40,600 jobs. This shows over-the-month employment gains in 12 of the last 16 months and 25 consecutive months with an over-the-year gain.