The Baton Rouge metro extended its streak of year-over-year job growth in June for the 54th straight month, with 3,300 more private sector jobs recorded during the month this year than there were last year, according to figures released by the Louisiana Workforce Commission today.
Over the 12 month period through the end of June, the Baton Rouge area added a total of 10,300 jobs. And yet, the unemployment rate for the area jumped from 5.7% in May to 6.2% in June. The LWC downplayed the rate rise in Baton Rouge, saying it’s a sign of more people looking for work.
“Not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates rose over the month in all nine Louisiana metro areas as a result of increases in their overall labor forces—a sign of more people entering the workforce, not layoffs,” reads a news release from the LWC.
Louisiana’s civilian workforce grew to a record high of 2,233,247 in June, according to data released today. Construction posted the largest job increase, with 3,700 new jobs in June. Sectors that lost jobs in June included education and health services at 1,600 jobs; the trade, transportation and utilities and the leisure and hospitality sectors, both down 1,100 jobs; and mining and logging, down 300 jobs.
“Steady jobs growth and record numbers of people available for work are both very encouraging, especially against a backdrop of more people working in Louisiana than ever before,” says LWC Executive Director Curt Eysink in a statement.
