LaSalle Parish climbed into the number three spot among the state’s lowest unemployment numbers, according to data released last week by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics for the month of November.
During October, LaSalle was tied with St. Charles Parish for the sixth lowest rate in the state, after unemployment for the parish rose to 3.1%.
But November proved to be a big month for LaSalle as its unemployment rate dropped to 2.8%. The only two parishes in the state with lower numbers were Cameron at 2.5% and West Feliciana at 2.6%. Ascension and Livingston parishes were tied for the fourth spot with 2.9%.
LaSalle continues to dominate the unemployment numbers of all parishes in Central and North Louisiana. Local officials attribute the low jobless figures to a strong, hardworking workforce.
Neighboring parishes of LaSalle had the following rates recorded for November: Rapides 3.5%; Grant 3.5%; Caldwell 3.7%; Winn 4.0%; and Catahoula 4.0%.
State Data
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November 2023 is 3.5 percent, tied for the third lowest rate in series history. This rate increased by 0.2 percentage points from October 2023 but shows a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the November 2022 figure of 3.6 percent.
The number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals for November 2023 is estimated to be 72,978, the lowest figure in the series for November. While the series shows 3,129 more unemployed individuals than in October 2023, when compared to November 2022, the number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 1,482.
The number of seasonally adjusted employed individuals for November 2023 is 2,014,025. This is the second highest number of employed for the month of November in the series. The number of employed lost 3,384 individuals from the October 2023 revised estimate of 2,017,409. Compared to November 2022, the number of seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 5,693. This is the 32nd consecutive month with an overthe- year gain in the number of employed.
“Louisiana continues its historic run with the lowest unemployment rate in November’s history,” said the Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary, Robert Wooley. “We offer a multitude of resources and tools to Louisiana citizens, such as HiRE, and we encourage residents to apply to the available jobs on the website. The LWC is also committed to partnering with our stakeholders to host job fairs and community events at no charge. To stay current and for more information, visit our website.”
The state’s seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment for November 2023 is 1,968,400 jobs, a decrease of 5,600 jobs from the October 2023 revised estimate of 1,974,000 jobs. Compared to November 2022, seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment increased by 34,000 jobs. The series has seen 32 consecutive months with an over-the-year gain in nonfarm employment.
Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted private sector employment for November 2023 is 1,648,600 jobs, a decrease of 5,500 jobs from the October 2023 revised estimate of 1,654,100 jobs. Compared to November 2022, seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 27,000 jobs. The series has added jobs over the year for 32 consecutive months.
Not Seasonally Adjusted Data
Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment for November 2023 is 1,987,200, a decrease of 2,100 jobs from the revised October 2023 estimate of 1,989,300 jobs. Compared to November 2022, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 35,400 jobs. This shows over-the-month employment gains in 13 of the last 17 months and 32 consecutive months with an overthe-year gain.
Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted total private employment for November 2023 is 1,661,900, a decrease of 3,300 jobs from the October 2023 revised estimate of 1,665,200. Compared to November 2022, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 27,700 jobs. This shows overthe- month employment gains in 17 of the last 23 months and 32 consecutive months with an over-theyear gain.
Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November 2023 is 3.5 percent. This is the 2nd lowest rate for the month of November in series history. The rate shows a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the October 2023 rate of 3.6 percent but an increase of 0.3 percentage points from November 2022.
Since October 2023, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals has decreased by 2,205 to 73,327 in November 2023. This is the 2nd lowest number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals for the month of November in series history. Compared to November 2022, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals increased by 6,960.
Since October 2023, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals has decreased by 1,190 to 2,016,243 in November 2023. Compared to November 2022, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals decreased by 6,470.
To view all available employment data, visit Louisiana’s employment homepage at https://www.laworks.net and select Labor Market Information from the top-right menu. Then, select LOIS (Louisiana Occupational Information System) and select Employment and Wage Data listed under Data Trends. To view the state’s BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, visit https://data.bls.gov/pdq/ querytool.jsp?survey=la. For BLS nonfarm employment data, click here: https://data.bls.gov/pdq/ querytool.jsp?survey=sm.
