Tri-Parish jobless rates lower than a year ago

Tri-Parish unemployment rates in April were lower than a year ago, but the workforce count is also below that of a year ago, according to not seasonally adjusted numbers from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
The state’s jobless rate of 3.5 percent is the lowest not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Louisiana in series history.
The workforce includes those people employed and those looking for jobs in the state count.
The total Tri-Parish workforce count in April was 66,449, down 1,482 or 2.2 percent from the April 2018 count of 67,931.
The Tri-Parish April workforce counts are:
— St. Landry Parish, 31,537, down 421— 1.3 percent — from April 2018.
— Acadia Parish, 22,908, down 1,018 — 4.3 percent — from April 2018.
— Evangeline Parish, 12,004, down 43 — 0.4 percent — from April 2018.
April unemployment rates were:
— St. Landry Parish, 4.6 percent, down from 5.7 percent in April 2018 and down from 5.1 percent in March.
— Acadia Parish, 3.9 percent, down from 4.9 percent in April 2018 and down from 4.2 percent in March.
— Evangeline Parish, 4.2 percent, down from 5.4 percent April 2018 and down from 6 4.6 percent in March.
The statistics released May 24 for parishes are not seasonally adjusted for factors such as weather and holidays.
The state not seasonally adjusted jobless rate in April was 3.5 percent, down from the March revised rate of 3.8 percent.
The number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 7,650 from 80,404 in March 2019, to 72,754 in April 2019. This is the lowest number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals for Louisiana in series history. Since April 2018, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals has decreased by 21,614.
The number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 5,536 to 2,015,835 in April 2019, from 2,010,299 in March 2019. Since April 2018, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 4,006.
All nine not seasonally adjusted April metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) unemployment rates for Louisiana decreased over the month and over the year for the second straight month. This is the third consecutive month Louisiana’s nine MSAs have declined over the month. The Baton Rouge, Hammond, Lake Charles and New Orleans MSAs all showed record lows for their not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.
Not seasonally adjusted MSA rates declined from March 2019 and April 2018 in 63 out of Louisiana’s 64 parishes. Not seasonally adjusted March 2019 unemployment rates for the nine MSAs are as follows:
— Alexandria: 3.7 percent, down from 4.2 percent in March and down from 4.8 percent from April 2018.
— Baton Rouge: 3.1 percent, down from 3.4 percent in March and down from 4 percent from April 2018.
— Hammond: 3.9 percent, down from 4.3 percent in March and down from 5 percent from April 2018.
— Houma: 3.4 percent, down from 3.8 percent in March and down from 4.6 percent from April 2018.
— Lafayette: 3.4 percent, down from 3.8 percent in March and down from 4.6 percent from April 2018.
— Lake Charles: 2.8 percent, down from 3.1 percent in March and down from 3.5 percent from April 2018.
— Monroe: 4 percent, down from 4.4 percent in March and down from 4.8 percent from April 2018.
— New Orleans: 3.2 percent, down from 3.6 percent in March and down from 4.2 percent from March 2018.
— Shreveport: 3.8 percent, down from 4.1 percent in March and down from 4.8 percent from April 2018.