Baton Rouge’s job market is second best in the nation

Baton Rouge added 1,300 jobs in May, compared to the year before, making it the second-biggest gaining city in the country, according to figures released yesterday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says only Austin, Texas, added more jobs, with 4,200 more positions than in May 2008. The BLS says just 15 U.S. cities added jobs in May, while 295 posted decreases. Los Angeles, New York and Chicago all dropped more than 200,000 jobs from May 2008. Preliminary numbers show the unemployment rate in Baton Rouge was 6% in May, well below the national average of 9.1%. “The May 2009 metro economy rankings are strong for the Baton Rouge region, and perhaps most impressive because these jobs have been produced primarily in higher-wage, goods-producing sectors,” says Baton Rouge Area Chamber President & CEO Adam Knapp. “Coupled with recent manufacturing investments such as SNF Holding in Iberville and PanAmerican Capital’s wood products investment in West Feliciana, the region continues to see new economic growth.”