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Not seasonal employment adds jobs for ninth month in a row

BATON ROUGE – Louisiana has recorded its ninth straight over-the-year job increase, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS). Not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment for the month increased by 21,200 jobs from June 2017 to 1,995,100, and not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 23,900 jobs to 1,671,300 for that same time period. Not seasonally adjusted total private sector employment has added jobs for the past nine months.

The number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 14,024 from June 2017 to 2,024,799. The not seasonally adjusted civilian labor force, or the number of people who are employed in addition to those looking for work increased by 19,944 from June 2017 to 2,155,532. From May 2018, the not seasonally adjusted civilian labor force increased by 25,073.

Not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for Louisiana’s nine metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in June are below.

• Alexandria: 6.5 percent, up from 5.1 percent in May, but down from 6.6 percent from June 2017.

• Baton Rouge: 5.4 percent, up from 4.2 percent in May and up from 5.2 percent from June 2017. Despite the not seasonal unemployment rate increase, the Baton Rouge MSA is at a series high for employment based on not seasonally adjusted figures.

• Hammond: 6.8 percent, up from 5.0 percent in May and up from 6.7 percent from June 2017.

• Houma: 6.1 percent, up from 4.9 percent in May and up from 6.0 percent from June 2017.

• Lafayette: 6.1 percent, up from 4.9 percent in May, but down from 6.2 percent from June 2017.

• Lake Charles: 4.7 percent, up from 3.7 percent in May and up from 4.4 percent from June 2017. Despite the not seasonal unemployment rate increase, the Lake Charles MSA is at a series high for employment based on not seasonally adjusted figures.

• Monroe: 6.3 percent, up from 5.0 percent in May and up from 5.9 percent from June 2017.

• New Orleans: 5.8 percent, up from 4.4 percent in May and up from 5.5 percent from June 2017.

• Shreveport: 6.5 percent, up from 5.1 percent May and up from 6.3 percent from June 2017.

Despite the over-the-month not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increases in the nine MSAs, these rates are in line with historical figures for the month of June.

Seasonally Adjusted vs. Not-Seasonally Adjusted Data

Jobs and employment trends data are often difficult to understand because there are two different ways to look at the data, seasonally or non-seasonally adjusted data.

Seasonal adjustment works to measure and remove the influences of predictable seasonal patterns to reveal how employment and unemployment figures change from month to month. Not seasonally adjusted data retains seasonal employment trends.

Over the course of a year, the labor force size, available jobs and employment rates undergo predictable fluctuations due to seasonal changes in weather, harvests, major holidays, and school schedules. Seasonal adjustment reduces the impact of these changes, making it easier to understand trends. Seasonally adjusted data is best utilized when comparing several months of employment and jobs data, while not seasonally adjusted data is best used to compare over-the-year trends. Seasonally adjusted data are useful for comparisons among states and the nation.

To view all available employment data, visit Louisiana’s employment homepage at http://www.laworks.net and select Labor Market Information from the top-right menu. Then, select LOIS (Louisiana Occupational Information System) and select Employment and Wage Data listed under Data Trends. To view the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics for the state, visit http://data.bls.gov/pdq/querytool.jsp?survey=la. For BLS nonfarm employment data, click here: http://data.bls.gov/pdq/querytool.jsp?survey=sm.

Resources for employers and job seekers

Job-seekers can explore careers, apply for top-rated jobs and connect with local training providers using Louisiana Star Jobs, the LWC’s free career tool, at http://www.laworks.net/Stars/. Employers looking for workers should visit Louisiana’s employment homepage at www.laworks.net. Click on HiRE (Helping Individuals Reach Employment) and create an account allowing access to qualified job seekers.

About the Louisiana Workforce Commission

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is an agency of state government that administers programs designed to enhance workforce growth and provide family-sustaining jobs for Louisiana residents. The commission monitors employment, administers unemployment compensation and tax funds, provides training resources for employers and employees and oversees workers’ compensation benefits. The agency also gathers and supplies information on the labor market and occupational sectors in Louisiana.