BATON ROUGE – Data released today by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics shows that seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 21,900 jobs from December 2017 to 1,992,200.
This marks the 15th straight over-the-year increase for seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment. From November 2018, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 700 jobs.
Among Louisiana’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), the Shreveport MSA gained 100 jobs from December 2017, but lost 500 jobs from November 2018.
Seasonally adjusted private-sector employment increased by 23,800 jobs from December 2017 to 1,668,500. This also marks the fifteenth straight month that seasonally adjusted private-sector employment has increased over-the-year. From November 2018, seasonally adjusted private-sector employment increased by 1,100 jobs.
“From setting employment record highs to all-time employment records in a variety of sectors, Louisiana’s economy has shown marked improvement from where we were just a year ago,” said Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie. “After now having added jobs now for 15 months in a row over-the-year, we will work with employers and job-seekers to help build upon all the momentum that Louisiana’s economy has built in the coming year.”
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 5.0 percent to 4.9 percent in December 2018.
The number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 862 to 104,350 from November 2018.
Industries that showed the largest gains for seasonally adjusted jobs:
- Construction gained 3,100 jobs from December 2017 and 500 jobs from November 2018.
- Manufacturing gained 5,100 jobs from December 2017 and 400 jobs from November 2018.
- Financial Activities gained 3,000 jobs from December 2017 and 800 jobs from November 2018.
- Leisure and Hospitality gained 2,400 jobs from December 2017 and 100 jobs from November 2018.
- Mining and Logging gained 700 jobs from December 2017, but remained unchanged from November 2018.
