Louisiana Adds 37,600 Jobs, New Orleans and Baton Rouge Lead the Way

According to data released by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana saw a gain of 37,600 jobs in January compared to the same month last year, with New Orleans and Baton Rouge making significant contributions to the growth.

The state had almost 1.93 million non-farm jobs in January 2023, up from 1.89 million in January 2022, although the figures were not adjusted for seasonal changes. Month-to-month job numbers dropped because of seasonal hiring patterns in sectors such as retail and transportation, with 25,400 fewer people employed in January than in December.

New Orleans added 16,100 jobs compared to January 2022. The healthcare and social assistance sector saw an increase of 4,400 jobs, while accommodation and food service jobs rose by 4,100. The employment service sector, however, shed 1,500 jobs.

Baton Rouge added 12,400 jobs between January 2022 and January 2023, with construction adding 4,100 jobs and leisure and hospitality gaining 2,300 positions during the period.

Lafayette added 1,800 jobs over the year, with manufacturing and mining, logging, and construction sectors contributing 1,100 jobs each, while healthcare and social assistance increased by 1,000. The number of retail trade jobs, however, fell by 1,400 year over year.

Lake Charles was the only metro area in the state that saw a decrease in the number of jobs, dropping from 95,900 to 94,700 year over year. The number of construction jobs fell by 2,400, which offset the addition of 1,100 service jobs.

Shreveport-Bossier City added 1,500 jobs in January compared to January 2022, while Houma-Thibodaux added 1,300 jobs, Alexandria added 1,200 jobs, Monroe added 200, and Hammond increased by 100.

The civilian labor force in Louisiana exceeded 2 million in January, up from 1.98 million in January 2022. The number of unemployed people decreased from 87,108 in January 2022 to 75,729, resulting in a drop in the statewide unemployment rate from 4.2% to 3.6%.

In January, the unemployment rates in all of the state's metro areas decreased compared to the previous year. New Orleans dropped from 4.6% to 3.7%, Lafayette from 3.9% to 3.4%, and Baton Rouge from 3.8% to 3.2%.