What sectors are losing, adding jobs in Louisiana?

The numbers don’t lie: Louisiana lost 1,300 jobs during August and roughly 800 can be traced back to Baton Rouge, which was among the only metro areas posting a reduction for the month. According to data released by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the largest drop last month was experienced by the leisure and hospitality industries. Collectively, they reported 191,900 positions in August, which was down by 3,000 as compared to July. Curt Eysink, executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, says a decline in this sector is typical this time of year as amusement and recreational facilities scale back from summer operations. Large employment losses were also seen in trade, transportation and utilities, which shed 1,400 positions. This was followed by manufacturing, which lost 1,200 jobs. State officials point to a larger trend. “The declines in these sectors mirror what is happening across the country as the national recession persists,” Eysink says. Information jobs were likewise down by 100 in August and positions linked to professional and business services were lessened by 700 last month. As for strength within industry groups, the seasonally adjusted data show specialty-trade contractors added 1,000 more workers in August, food manufacturing expanded with 800, transportation and warehousing grew by 600 and private education services added 2,500. Louisiana is one of only two states with annual employment gains in the construction industry, with 4,400 jobs added over the past year.—Jeremy Alford