Unemployment rate stays stable

Employment remained stable in Richland Parish over the summer.

The lastest figures released by the Louisiana Works Commission show that the jobless rate for the parish fell one tenth of a percent from 6.5 percent in June to 6.4 percent in July.

That reflects 536 people looking for work in July, down from 550 in June and 613 a year ago.

In July, a total of 7,875 people were working in Richland Parish, down from 7,888 in June and 7,976 in July a year ago.

LaSalle had the lowest unemployment in the state with 5.1 percent while East Carroll had the highest unemployment at 11.2 percent.

Based on preliminary data released by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 11,081 from 121,375 in July 2018 to 110,294 in July 2019. Since June 2019, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals has decreased by 2,860.

Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased 0.5 percentage points from 5.7 percent in July 2018 to 5.2 percent in July 2019. Since June 2019, Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 5.3 percent to 5.2 percent.

For the fifth straight month, all metropolitan statistical areas experienced unemployment rate declines over the year. None of the nine MSAs saw an increase in their not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates from June 2019. Preliminary not seasonally adjusted July unemployment rates for the nine MSAs are as follows:

• Alexandria: 5.7 percent, unchanged from June, but down from 6.2 percent in July 2018.

• Baton Rouge: 4.8 percent, down from 4.9 percent in June and down from 5.2 percent in July 2018.

• Hammond: 6.1 percent, down from 6.2 percent in June and down from 6.5 percent in July 2018.

• Houma: 4.9 percent, down from 5.2 percent in June and down from 5.5 percent in July 2018.

• Lafayette: 5.0 percent, down from 5.2 percent in June and down from 5.6 percent in July 2018.

• Lake Charles: 4.2 percent, down from 4.3 percent in June and down from 4.4 percent in July 2018.

• Monroe: 5.7 percent, down from 5.8 percent in June and down from 5.9 percent in July 2018.

• New Orleans: 4.8 percent, down from 5.0 percent in June and down from 5.5 percent in July 2018.

• Shreveport: 5.5 percent, down from 5.7 percent in June and down from 5.9 percent in July 2018.