The Tri-Parish workforce has lost 2,455 people from a year ago, according to statistic released Friday by the the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
The workforce includes people working and those looking for a job.
In March, the Tri-Parish workforce was 67,642, down from 70,097 in March 2020.
COVID-19 shutdowns started in mid-March 2020.
In Evangeline Parish, the March workforce was 11,803, down 659 or 5.3% from the March 2020 workforce.
In St. Landry Parish, the workforce in March was 32,467, down 654 or 2% from March 2020.
In Acadia Parish, the March workforce was 23,372, down 1,142 or 4.7% from the March 2020 count.
March parish unemployment rates were:
— Evangeline, 6%, up from 5.9% in March 2020 and down from 6.5% in February.
— St. Landry, 7.2%, up from 6.7% in March 2020 and down from 7.7% in February.
— Acadia, 5.7%, unchanged from March 2020 and down from 6.1% in February.
The job numbers are not seasonally adjusted for factors such as weather and holidays.
The state’s March jobless rate was 6.6%, down from February’s 7.1% and up from 5.3% in March 2020. This is the lowest not seasonally adjusted rate since the March 2020 pre-pandemic rate of 5.3 percent. The 0.5 percentage points decline is the largest monthly decline for March since 1989.
Since February 2021, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 27,013 from 1,896,807 to 1,923,820 in March. When compared to March 2020, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals decreased by 108,719.
Since February, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 8,883 from 144,228 to 135,345 in March. When compared to March 2020, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals increased by 21,412.
Not seasonally adjusted March unemployment rates for Louisiana’s nine Metropolitan Statistical Areas are as follows:
— Alexandria: 4.4%, down from 4.8% in February and down from 5.4% in March 2020.
— Baton Rouge: 5.8%, down from 6.2% in February, but up from 4.9% in March 2020.
— Hammond: 7.4%, down from 8% in February, but up from 5.9% in March 2020.
— Houma: 5.7%, down from 6.2% in February, but up from 5% percent in March 2020.
— Lafayette: 6%, down from 6.5% in February, but up from 5.2% in March 2020.
— Lake Charles: 6.8%, down from 7.3% in February, but up from 4.9% in March 2020.
— Monroe: 5.8%, down from 6.2% in February and down from 5.9% in March 2020.
— New Orleans: 8%, down from 8.6% in February, but up from 4.9% in March 2020.
— Shreveport: 6.3%, down from 6.8% in February, but up from 5.5% in March 2020.
Since February, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 7,100 jobs from 1,826,700 to 1,833,800 in March. When compared to March 2020, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment decreased by 134,700 jobs.
Since February, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 7,100 jobs from 1,510,900 to 1,518,000 in March. When compared to March 2020, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment decreased by 116,800 jobs.
Industries that showed the largest gains for not seasonally adjusted jobs for March:
— Leisure and Hospitality gained 4,900 jobs from February.
— Manufacturing added 1,300 jobs from February.
— Mining and Logging added 1,100 jobs from February.
— Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 700 jobs from February.
Image
Staff Report