By Harlan Kirgan
Editor
Tri-Parish unemployment rates are down from a year ago, but the workforce is slightly down compared the May 2017 numbers, according to Bureau of Labor and Statistics information on not seasonally adjusted employment rates released by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
There were 68,787 people working or seeking jobs in St. Landry, Acadia and Evangeline parishes in May, down 0.3 percent from May 2017.
The workforce number includes people working and those looking for a job.
All three parishes showed a slight workforce decrease in the not seasonally adjusted employment numbers released June 22.
Seasonal adjustment works to measure and remove the influences of predictable seasonal patterns to reveal how employment and unemployment figures change from month to month, the commission news release stated. Not seasonally adjusted data retains seasonal employment trends and are useful for comparing trends in parishes and metropolitan statistical areas, and for comparing them to the state, it stated.
St. Landry Parish’s workforce in May was 31,917, down 0.4 percent from May 2017.
Acadia Parish’s workforce in May was 24,239, down 0.2 percent from May 2017.
Evangeline Parish’s workforce in May was 12,631, down 0.1 percent from May 2017.
May unemployment rates were down in the three parishes.
St. Landry Parish’s May jobless rate was 6 percent, down from 6.7 percent in May 2017, but up from 5.5 percent in April.
Acadia Parish’s jobless rate in May was 5.2 percent, down from 5.9 percent in May 2017, and up from 4.8 percent in April.
Evangeline Parish’s unemployment rate in May was 5.3 percent, down from 5.8 percent in May 2017, and up from 5 percent in April.
There were 29,991 people working in St. Landry Parish in May compared to 29,901 in May 2017.
In Acadia Parish in May, there were 22,973 people working compared to 22,860 in May 2017.
In Evangeline Parish in May, there were 11,956 people working, up from 11,909 in May 2017.
The Louisiana Workforce Commission reported May was the eighth consecutive over-the-year increase in employment in the state.
From April, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 5,900 jobs to 2,000,500. This is the highest employment level since December 2015, a commission news release stated.
The unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 percentage points from last year to 4.7 percent. The not-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has seen over-the year declines for 20 straight months. From April, the unemployment rate increased 0.4 percentage points.
All nine metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) declined over the year. Not seasonally adjusted May unemployment rates for the nine MSAs are as follows:
— Alexandria: 5.1 percent, up from 4.6 percent in April, but down from 5.8 percent from May 2017.
— Baton Rouge: 4.2 percent, up from 3.8 percent in April, but down from 4.4 percent from May 2017.
— Hammond: 5 percent, up from 4.7 percent in April, but down from 5.7 percent from May 2017.
— Houma: 4.8 percent, up from 4.4 percent in April, but down from 5.5 percent from May 2017.
— Lafayette: 4.9 percent, up from 4.5 percent in April, but down from 5.7 percent from May 2017.
— Lake Charles: 3.7 percent, up from 3.3 percent in April, but down from 3.9 percent from May 2017.
— Monroe: 5 percent, up from 4.6 percent in April, but down from 5.3 percent from May 2017.
— New Orleans: 4.4 percent, up from 4 percent in April, but down from 4.7 percent from May 2017.
— Shreveport: 5.2 percent, up from 4.6 percent April, but down from 5.6 percent from May 2017.