The number of people in Louisiana’s workforce and their total earnings hit a record high for a second straight year in 2014, according to new data from the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
Total wages among the approximately 1.92 million people working last year—which marked 1.7% growth in employment over 2013 figures—rose 4.7% to more than $87.2 billion, the figures show.
“This second year of record wages and workforce growth is a positive indicator that job development and business attraction efforts are paying off for Louisiana,” says LWC Executive Director Curt Eysink in a prepared statement. “By continuing to align post-secondary education priorities with high-demand occupations in Louisiana, we can better ensure that those entering our state’s workforce can find rewarding careers that build prosperity and quality of life.”
The 2014 average weekly wage for all industries in Louisiana was $872, up from an average of $846 in 2013.
While the oil and gas industry is being roiled by low commodity prices, its workers still had some of the highest-paying jobs last year in the state. The figures show weekly wages in the mining industry, which includes the oil and gas industry, averaged $1,828—the highest average of any industry in Louisiana. More specifically, oil and gas extraction jobs paid an average weekly wage of $2,704.
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting jobs paid an average of $710 weekly last year, while utilities jobs paid $1,272. The construction industry paid an average wage of $1,055 in 2014; manufacturing $1,298; wholesale trade $1,182; transportation and warehousing $1,183; information $925, finance and industry $1,214; real estate, rental and leasing $931; professional and technical services $1,284; management $1,452; and public administration $916.
Among the industry sectors that had average weekly wages below the state average of $872 last year were health care and social assistance, at $792; educational services, $749; administrative and waste services, $678; and other services, $651. The lowest paying sectors were arts, entertainment and recreation, at $565 weekly on average, and accommodation and food services, at $339.
