Louisiana was among 29 states to see its unemployment rate fall in August from the previous month, with the Bayou State posting its lowest rate—6%, down 0.2 percentage points from July—since May 2014, according to new figures from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Compared to last August, Louisiana had roughly 7,000 more nonfarm jobs last month, with a total of 1,992,200 jobs, according to a seasonally adjusted Bureau of Labor Statistics survey of 7,000 Louisiana employers. Private employment rose by 11,200 jobs over the year, marking the 59th consecutive month of over-the-year increases, according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
The number of people looking for work in Louisiana declined by 14,297 over the year through August, falling to its lowest level of the year last month. The state’s total civilian labor force, which includes those employed plus those looking for work, increased by 10,591 over the 12-month period, with 24,888 more people working than in August 2014.
“Were it not for job losses related to the price of oil, we would expect even better numbers,” says Curt Eysink, executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, in a prepared statement. “The longer the price of oil stays low, the more we would expect to see collateral impact on other sectors.”
Mining and logging—which includes the oil sector—showed continued employment declines. There were 800 fewer jobs in August than there were in July, and 7,800 fewer compared to August 2014. Last month, a total to 46,000 jobs in the sector were tallied, the lowest level since December 2005.
The Associated Press reports unemployment rates fell in 29 states in August, held steady in 11 and rose in 10 states as hiring remained relatively solid nationwide. Employers added jobs in 32 states and shed them in 18. Nationwide, employers added 173,000 jobs in August, while the national unemployment rate fell to 5.1% from 5.3%.
