Louisiana employment consistently gaining

BATON ROUGE, La. – Preliminary data for December 2021 released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment estimate to be 1,874,200 jobs. This is a gain of 7,100 jobs from the revised November 2021 estimate of 1,867,100. The state also gained 39,600 jobs from the December 2020 estimate of 1,834,600. The nonfarm employment level is the highest for the series since March 2020, and shows nine consecutive over-the-year gains.

Since November 2021, Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 6,800 jobs from 1,557,100 to 1,563,900 in December 2021. When compared to December 2020, seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 42,800 jobs.

The December 2021 seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.8 percent shows a decline both over the month and over the year. The rate dropped 0.3 percentage points from the revised November 2021 rate of 5.1 percent and dropped 3.1 percentage points from the December 2020 rate of 7.9 percent. The rate has declined from the previous month for 10 consecutive months, and declined over the year for nine straight months. The 4.8% figure is the lowest for the state since September 2019.

Since November 2021, the number of seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 7,977 from 1,956,703 to 1,964,680 in December 2021. When compared to December 2020, the number of seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 35,148.

Since November 2021, the number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 6,118 from 104,413 to 98,295 in December 2021. When compared to December 2020, the number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 67,198.

Major industries that showed the largest gains for seasonally adjusted jobs from November 2021:

• Construction gained 3,500 jobs from November 2021.

• Professional and Business Services gained 1,900 jobs from November 2021.

• Trade, Transportation, and Utilities gained 1,400 jobs from November 2021.

Major industries that showed the largest gains for seasonally adjusted jobs from December 2020:

• Leisure and Hospitality gained 13,400 jobs from December 2020.

• Professional and Business Services gained 12,800 jobs from December 2020.

• Education and Health Services gained 7,900 jobs from December 2020.

“We continue to see steady progress as Louisiana recovers from a challenging two years,” said Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Cates. “We reached the highest level of employment just before the pandemic, and we are optimistic the momentum we have now will carry into 2022 and build back a stronger workforce.”

As of the week ending Dec. 25, there are over 19,000 jobs available in Louisiana through https://www.louisianaworks.net/hire. Job seekers can also explore careers and top-rated jobs here.

Among Louisiana’s MSAs in December 2021, seasonally adjusted data shows:

• Alexandria (59,900 jobs) showed no change from November 2021, but lost 400 jobs from December 2020.

• Baton Rouge (398,200 jobs) added 3,000 jobs from November 2021 and gained 10,500 jobs from December 2020.

• Hammond (47,100 jobs) added 400 jobs from November 2021 and gained 1,500 jobs from December 2020.

• Houma (82,700 jobs) added 400 jobs from November 2021 and gained 1,100 jobs from December 2020.

• Lafayette (194,400 jobs) added 1,100 jobs from November 2021 and gained 6,100 jobs from December 2020.

• Lake Charles (96,600 jobs) added 700 jobs from November 2021 and gained 5,600 jobs from December 2020.

• Monroe (75,100 jobs) showed no change from November 2021, but gained 600 jobs from December 2020.

• New Orleans (537,800 jobs) added 3,500 jobs from November 2021 and gained 12,300 jobs from December 2020.

• Shreveport (169,700 jobs) lost 500 jobs from November 2021, but gained 1,900 jobs from December 2020.

Not Seasonally Adjusted Data

Since November 2021, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 4,500 jobs from 1,884,500 to 1,889,000 in December 2021. When compared to December 2020, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 42,900 jobs. The December 2021 employment figure is the highest in the series since March 2020, and shows nine consecutive over-the-year gains.

Since November 2021, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 5,800 jobs from 1,569,700 to 1,575,500 in December 2021. When compared to December 2020, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 46,600 jobs.

Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2021 is 3.7 percent, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points from the revised November 2021 not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.1 percent. The rate also shows a decrease of 3.6 percentage points from the December 2020 rate of 7.3 percent. The 3.7% figure is tied for the 3rd lowest of all time.

Since November 2021, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals decreased by 4,934 from 1,985,011 to 1,980,077 in December 2021. When compared to December 2020, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 48,094.

Since November 2021, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 6,686 from 83,797 to 77,111 in December 2021. When compared to December 2020, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 74,067.

December metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and parish unemployment rates will be released on February 1, 2022.

Seasonally Adjusted vs. Not Seasonally Adjusted Data

Jobs and employment trends data are often difficult to understand because there are two different ways to look at the data, seasonally or non-seasonally adjusted data.

Seasonal adjustment works to measure and remove the influences of predictable seasonal patterns to reveal how employment and unemployment figures change from month to month. Not seasonally adjusted data retains seasonal employment trends.

Over the course of a year, the labor force size, available jobs and employment rates undergo predictable fluctuations due to seasonal changes in weather, harvests, major holidays, and school schedules. Seasonal adjustment reduces the impact of these changes, making it easier to understand trends. Seasonally adjusted data is best utilized when comparing several months of employment and jobs data, while not seasonally adjusted data is best used to compare over-the-year trends. Seasonally adjusted data are useful for comparisons among states and the nation.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission primarily uses seasonally adjusted data because it provides a more useful and telling picture of Louisiana’s jobs and employment situation.

To view all available employment data, visit Louisiana’s employment homepage at http://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 BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics for the state, visit http://data.bls.gov/pdq/querytool.jsp?survey=la. For BLS nonfarm employment data, click here: http://data.bls.gov/pdq/querytool.jsp?survey=sm.

Data Considerations

All data published from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is preliminary and is subject to revision on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. Revised numbers for previous months are available from the BLS databases located on bls.gov. The revised numbers are available upon release of new data.

Resources for Employers and Job Seekers

Job-seekers can explore careers, apply for top-rated jobs and connect with local training providers using Louisiana Star Jobs, the LWC’s free career tool, at http://www.laworks.net/Stars/. Employers looking for workers should visit Louisiana’s employment homepage at http://www.laworks.net. Click on HiRE (Helping Individuals Reach Employment) and create an account allowing access to qualified job seekers.

About the Louisiana Workforce Commission

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is an agency of state government that administers programs designed to enhance workforce growth and provide family-sustaining jobs for Louisiana residents. The commission monitors employment, administers unemployment compensation and tax funds, provides training resources for employers and employees and oversees worker compensation benefits. The agency also gathers and supplies information on the labor market and occupational sectors in Louisiana.