New Orleans area up 10,900 jobs over the year in September

New Orleans area up 10,900 jobs over the year in September

POSTED: 11:39 AM Wednesday, October 26, 2011 BY: CityBusiness staff reports TAGS: , , ,

 

BATON ROUGE — While the New Orleans area added 3,700 jobs between August and September, it was up 10,900 positions over the year, according to nonseasonally adjusted Louisiana Workforce Commission figures released today.

The New Orleans area had 528,600 jobs in September, more than the 524,900 in August and the 517,700 in August 2010. The goods-producing sector was down 200 jobs over August but equal with September 2010, while the service-providing sector was up 3,900 positions over the month and up 10,900 compared with a year ago.

Louisiana, meanwhile, gained 18,000 jobs over August and 41,300 over the year.

The New Orleans area’s unemployment rate of 6.9 percent, lower than the 7.3 percent August rate and the 7.7 percent a year ago, was the third highest rate in the state behind Monroe at 7.2 percent and Baton Rouge at 7 percent. Houma had the lowest rate at 4.7 percent followed by Lafayette at 5.2 percent, Lake Charles at 6.1 percent, Shreveport at 6.3 percent and Alexandria at 6.5 percent.

Orleans Parish had the area’s highest unemployment rate at 8.6 percent, down from 9.1 percent in August and from 9.8 percent a year ago. St. Tammany Parish had the lowest rate at 5.5 percent, down from 6.8 percent in August and from 6 percent a year ago.

The remaining New Orleans area parishes posted the following rates:

St. John: 8.5 percent, down from 9.2 percent in August and from 10.3 percent a year ago;

– St. Bernard: 6.9 percent, down from 7.3 percent over the month and from 7.4 percent in September 2010;

– Plaquemines: 6.5 percent, down from 7 percent in August but up slightly from 6.3 percent a year ago;

– Jefferson: 6.4 percent, down from 6.7 percent in August and from 7.1 percent a year ago; and

– St. Charles: 6.4 percent, down from 6.8 percent over the month and from 7.1 percent a year ago.

Louisiana’s jobless rate of 6.9 percent was down from the 7.3 percent August rate and the 7.7 percent figure in September 2010. Louisiana was one of 25 states in the nation to post a decrease in its unemployment rate. It tied with Minnesota at 13th in the nation and was third lowest in the Southern region, which remained unchanged at 9.1 percent. The national unemployment rate in September was 8.8 percent, down from the 9.1 percent over the month and the 9.2 percent rate in 2010.

Workers in the New Orleans area took home an average of $872.51 a week working an average of 35.7 hours a week, more than the $852.87 for 36.2 hours in August and the $856.53 average for 37.6 hours in September 2010.

Statewide, East Carroll Parish north of Monroe had the state’s highest rate at 14.5 percent, while Lafourche Parish had the lowest rate at 4.6 percent.

“These numbers indicate that the overall improvement we’ve been experiencing statewide for a year is consistently spread across every MSA,” said Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Curt Eysink.