Staff Report
The Tri-Parish labor force dropped 776 people in December compared the same month a year ago, according to a Louisiana Workforce Commission report citing federal Bureau of Labor & Statistics released Friday.
The workforce for St. Landry, Acadia and Evangeline parishes totaled 66,226 in December, down 1.2% from the 67,002 in the December 2018 workforce.
The workforce includes people working and those looking for a job.
The statistics are not seasonally adjusted for factors such as weather and holidays.
The December 2019 workforce totals by parish were:
— St. Landry Parish: 30,806, down 583 or 1.5% from December 2018.
— Acadia Parish: 23,703, down 10 from the December 2018 workforce.
— Evangeline Parish: 11,717, down 183 or 1.5% from December 2018.
Tri-Parish unemployment rates for December 2019 were:
— St. Landry Parish: 6.6%; up from 5.8% in December 2018 and 6.4% in November 2019.
— Acadia Parish: 5.5%; up from 4.8% in December 2018 and 5.4% in November 2019.
— Evangeline Parish, 6.1%; up from 5% in December 2018 and unchanged from November 2019.
In the state, nonfarm employment increased by 8,300 jobs from 1,991,000 in December 2018 to 1,999,300 in December 2019. Not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 10,700 jobs from 1,659,500 jobs in December 2018 to 1,670,200 jobs in December 2019.
Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted civilian labor force, or the number of people who are employed in addition to those looking for work, increased by 8,201 from 2,083,413 in December 2018 to 2,091,614 in December 2019.
Not-seasonally adjusted December unemployment rates for the nine metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are as follows:
— Alexandria: 5.5%, up from 5.3% in November and up from 5% from December 2018.
— Baton Rouge: 4.5%, up from 4.4% in November and up from 3.9% from December 2018.
— Hammond: 5.6%, up from 5.4% in November and up from 5.2% from December 2018.
— Houma: 4.7%, unchanged from 4.7% in November and up from 4.2% from December 2018.
— Lafayette: 4.9%, up from 4.8% in November and up from 4.3% from December 2018.
— Lake Charles: 4.3%, up from 4% in November and up from 3.4% from December 2018.
— Monroe: 5.7%, up from 5.6% in November and up from 5% from December 2018.
— New Orleans: 4.4%, unchanged from 4.4% in November, but up from 4% from December 2018.
— Shreveport: 5.4%, up from 5.% in November and up from 4.7% from December 2018.