Not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreases but Shreveport MSA loses jobs
BATON ROUGE – Data released today by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) for March 2019 shows that seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment for Louisiana has increased over the year for the past 13 months.
Since March 2018, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 400 jobs. From February 2019, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 3,300 jobs to 1,984,600.
However, among Louisiana’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in March 2019, seasonally adjusted data showed the Shreveport MSA lost 1,700 jobs from March 2018 and 300 jobs from February 2019.
Seasonally adjusted private sector employment for March 2019 shows that Louisiana added 800 jobs from March 2018. This is also the thirteenth consecutive over-the-year increase for seasonally adjusted private sector employment. From February 2019, seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 2,900 jobs to 1,657,200.
“Louisiana’s economy continues to make steady and consistent progress as is evidenced by the past 13 months of over-the-year growth,” said LWC Secretary Ava Dejoie. “The LWC will continue to do all that it is able to ensure that every individual in search of a family-sustaining career will have that opportunity.”
Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 4.9 percent in February 2019, to 4.7 percent in March 2019. This is the tenth month in the row that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has not increased over the month.
The seasonally adjusted number of unemployed individuals decreased by 3,208 from February 2019 to 99,056 in March 2019. Since March 2018, the number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 2,715.
The number of seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 2,476 from February 2019 to 2,002,913 in March 2019.
Industries that showed the largest gains for seasonally adjusted jobs for March 2019:
- Leisure and Hospitality gained 4,400 jobs from March 2018 and 3,100 jobs from February 2019. The Leisure and Hospitality sector is at a series high for employment at 240,600.
- Manufacturing gained 2,200 jobs from March 2018 and 600 jobs from February 2019.
- Other Services, which includes industries engaged in activities such as equipment and machinery repair services, gained 800 jobs from March 2018, but remained unchanged from February 2019.
- Education and Health Services gained 7,400 jobs from March 2018, but lost 100 jobs from February 2019.
Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased 0.5 percentage points in March 2019 from February 2019 to 3.9 percent. Compared to March 2018, the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased 0.7 percentage points.
The number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 11,409 from February 2019 to March 2019. From this same time last year, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 16,402 to 80,506. This is the lowest number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals since April 2008.
Not seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 14,432 from February 2019 to March 2019. From March 2018, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 2,487 to 2,009,895.
The not seasonally adjusted civilian labor force, or the number of people who are employed in addition to those looking for work, increased by 3,023 to 2,090,401 from February 2019 to March 2019.
March metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and parish unemployment rates will be released on April 26, 2019. For additional state and MSA data release dates, please click here.
