Richland jobless rate rises by .3 percent

Richland Parish’s unemployment rate rose slightly in December according to the latest figures from the Louisiana Works Commission.

Richland’s unemployment rose from 6.6 percent in November 2019 to 6.9 percent in December 2019. That’s also up from the 5.7 percent recorded in December 2018.

This translates to 561 people looking for work in the parish in December, up from 533 the month before and 467 a year earlier.

In all, 7,514 people were working in Richland Parish in December, down from 7,563 in November and 7,702 a year ago.

The national unemployment rate rose slightly from 3.3 percent in November to 3.4 percent in December. It’s still lower than the 3.7 percent recorded in December 2018.

Louisiana’s unemployment rate rose from 4.8 percent  in November to 4.9 percent in December, up from 4.4 a year ago.

West Carroll Parish had the state’s highest unemployment for December with 13.2 percent. 

Livingston, Cameron, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes tied for the state’s lowers unemployment rate at 4.1 percent.

Statewide, not seasonally adjusted 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 are as follows:

• Alexandria: 5.5 percent, up from 5.3 percent in November and up from 5.0 percent from December 2018.

• Baton Rouge: 4.5 percent, up from 4.4 percent in November and up from 3.9 percent from December 2018.

• Hammond: 5.6 percent, up from 5.4 percent in November and up from 5.2 percent from December 2018.

• Houma: 4.7 percent, unchanged from 4.7 percent in November and up from 4.2 percent from December 2018.

• Lafayette: 4.9 percent, up from 4.8 percent in November and up from 4.3 percent from December 2018.

• Lake Charles: 4.3 percent, up from 4.0 percent in November and up from 3.4 percent from December 2018.

• Monroe: 5.7 percent, up from 5.6 percent in November and up from 5.0 percent from December 2018.

• New Orleans: 4.4 percent, unchanged from 4.4 percent in November, but up from 4.0 percent from December 2018.

• Shreveport: 5.4 percent, up from 5.3 percent in November and up from 4.7 percent from December 2018.