More Louisiana residents report having a job than ever before, a sign that the economy is improving, according to U.S. Labor Department figures released Today.
Employers reported 9,000 more workers in April than in March and, according to the Associated Press, April’s survey shows 2.04 million people reported having jobs, beating the previous record from December 2014.
Even so, higher employment doesn’t mean there aren’t still many without work. Louisiana’s unemployment rate rose to 4.5 percent in April, up from 4.4 percent in March, as more people entered the labor force than found work. April’s U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent from March’s 4.1 percent.
“This is not only good news for our people but also for businesses across the state,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards, in a news release. “As employment increases, it’s clear that momentum is on our side, and we will continue working to meet the needs of job seekers and creators.”
Louisiana’s labor force, including those working and looking for jobs, has increased by 28,518 people since last year—the highest recorded labor force since 2016. Driving the job gains is education and health services as well as the construction sector.
Louisiana’s nonfarming employment has added 19,900 more jobs since April 2017. There have now been over-the-year gains for seven straight months. This is also the largest over-the-year gain since March 2015. Seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 9,200 jobs from March 2018, bringing the new total to 1,993,100.
