The Tri-Parish workforce tallied 67,493 people in February, up 39 from February 2018’s workforce count, according to not seasonally adjusted numbers from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
The workforce includes those people employed and those looking for jobs in the state count.
The Tri-Parish February workforce counts are:
— St. Landry Parish, 31,562, down 270 — 0.8 percent — from February 2018..
— Acadia Parish, 23,944, up 257 — 1 percent — from February 2018.
— Evangeline Parish, 11,987, up 52 — 0.4 percent — from February 2018.
February unemployment rates were:
— St. Landry Parish, 5.9 percent, up from 5.6 percent in February 2018 and down from 6.7 percent in January.
— Acadia Parish, 4.8 percent, down from 5 percent in February 2018 and down from 5.7 percent in January.
— Evangeline Parish, 5.3 percent, unchanged from February 2018 and down from 6 percent in January.
The statistics released Friday for parishes are not seasonally adjusted for factors such as weather and holidays.
The state not seasonally adjusted jobless rate in February was 4.4 percent, unchanged from February 2018 and down from 5.2 percent in January.
The state February not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 5,600 jobs to 1,971,100 from February 2018. This is the 12th straight over-the-year increase for not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment. From January, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 8,900 jobs.
February not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 4,600 jobs from February 2018. This is also the 12th straight over-the-year increase for not seasonally adjusted private sector employment. From January, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 4,000 jobs to 1,641,400.
Not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 15,425 from January to 92,074.The number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 20,240 from January to 1,994,523.
In February, every Louisiana metropolitan statistical area saw a decline in their unemployment rate from January. Each MSA dropped by at least 0.6 percentage points in their unemployment rates from January.
Not-seasonally adjusted February unemployment rates for the nine metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are as follows:
— Alexandria: 4.8 percent, down from 5.7 percent in January, but unchanged from 4.8 percent from February 2018.
— Baton Rouge: 4 percent, down from 4.7 percent in January, but up from 3.9 percent from February 2018.
— Hammond: 5 percent, down from 6 percent in January, but up from 4.8 percent from February 2018.
— Houma: 4.4 percent, down from 5.2 percent in January and down from 4.5 percent from February 2018.
— Lafayette: 4.4 percent, down from 5.1 percent in January and down from 4.6 percent from February 2018.
— Lake Charles: 3.5 percent, down from 4.1 percent in January, but up from 3.4 percent from February 2018.
— Monroe: 5 percent, down from 5.8 percent in January, but up from 4.8 percent from February 2018.
— New Orleans: 4.1 percent, down from 4.8 percent in January, but unchanged from 4.1 percent from February 2018.
— Shreveport: 4.7 percent, down from 5.4 percent in January, but up from 4.6 percent from February 2018.
