The unemployment rate in the Baton Rouge metro area held steady at 4.6% from February to March, but it’s 0.4 percentage points below the region’s 5% rate for the same month one year ago.
Nonseasonally adjusted data, released today by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, show the Baton Rouge area in March had the second lowest unemployment rate in the state, gaining 500 jobs over the month and 2,600 over the year.
Lake Charles, which saw its rate fall to 4.1% from 4.2% in February, had the lowest rate in Louisiana. The area also added 500 jobs over the month and 4,900 over the year. Lafayette had the highest unemployment rate at 6.3%.
The Louisiana Workforce Commission notes that employment in Louisiana improved in March as confidence rose in the state’s economy.
The state’s nonseasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.4%, and the labor force grew by 20,562 people over the month. The state’s labor force, however, is down 15,045 over the year.
The rates for other Louisiana metro areas are:
- Alexandria: 5.9%, down from 6% in February and down from 6.1% in March 2016.
- Hammond: 6%, up from 5.9% in February but down from 6.6% in March 2016.
- Houma: 6.2%, unchanged from February but down from 6.7% in March 2016.
- Lafayette: 6.3%, unchanged from February but down from 7.1% in March 2016.
- Lake Charles: 4.1%, down from 4.2% in February and down from 4.8% in March 2016.
- Monroe: 5.6%, down from 5.7% in February and down from 6.1% in March 2016.
- New Orleans: 4.9%, unchanged from February but down from 5.5% in March 2016.
- Shreveport: 5.8%, unchanged from February but down from 6.3% in March 2016.
Seasonally adjusted data was released on Monday.
