The New Orleans area lost 7,600 jobs from December to January, giving the region 66,000 fewer jobs than a year earlier.
Overall, the state dropped 33,300 jobs month-to-month, bringing the total number of nonfarm jobs in Louisiana to just over 1.8 million, according to figures released Monday by the Louisiana Workforce Commission. That’s 164,900, or 8.3%, fewer jobs than in January 2020. The numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
The data was based off surveys taken by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics during the second week of January, before access to coronavirus vaccines had become widespread.
The month-to-month drop brought the total number of jobs in metro New Orleans to 521,400. That’s 11.2% below the 587,400 jobs in the area during January 2020.
Trade, transportation and utilities was down 3,300 month to month, or 3%, to 105,700 jobs. Retail trade dropped 2,600 jobs, or 4.3%, to 58,600. Manufacturing lost 1,600 jobs, or 5.4%, to 28,300.
New Orleans, which is heavily dependent on tourism, conventions and restaurants, had a 9.1% non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in January. That’s up from 8.7% in December and 4.7% in January 2020.
Louisiana’s January unemployment rate was 7.6%, up from 5.2% in January 2020. The U.S. unemployment rate was 6.8%, up from 4% the year before.
BATON ROUGE: The Baton Rouge area lost 4,800 jobs from December to January, giving the region 20,700 fewer jobs than it had a year earlier. The month-to-month drop brought the total number of jobs in Baton Rouge to 384,200. That’s 5.1% below the 404,900 jobs in the metro area in January 2020. Leisure and hospitality was one of the few categories to see job gains from December to January, 400, or 1.2%, to 34,700 total. However, there are still 3,900 fewer jobs in the sector than in January 2020. Manufacturing shed 1,500 jobs month-to-month, or 5.1%, to 27,800 jobs. Professional and business services was down 1,500 jobs, or 3.1%, to 46,400. Construction was down 900 jobs, or 2.2%, at 40,100.
The Baton Rouge unemployment rate was 6.7% in January, up from a 6.4% rate in December and well above the 4.7% unemployment in January 2020.
LAFAYETTE AREA: The Acadiana region dropped 3,500 jobs from December to January to 186,400, compared to 203,500 in January 2020. Retail trade lost 700 jobs, or 2.6%, to 26,000. Leisure and hospitality was down 600 jobs, or 3.1%, to 18,600. Mining and logging, which includes oil and gas jobs, was down 200 month-to-month at 9,700. There were 12,900 jobs in that sector in January 2020. The unemployment rate in Lafayette was 7% in January, up from 6.6% in December and 5.1% in January 2020.
OTHER AREAS: Lake Charles had a 1.3% decrease in jobs from December to January, or 1,200, to 89,600 jobs. Hammond had a 1.5% decrease, or 700 jobs, to 45,200 jobs. Monroe was off by 1.7%, or 1,300 jobs, with 73,800. Alexandria fell 2%, or 1,200, to 59,400 jobs. Houma-Thibodaux was down 2.6%, or 2,100 jobs, to 80,100. Shreveport-Bossier City was down 3.1%, or 5,200, to 163,600 jobs.
