The New Orleans area had 9,100 more jobs in October than a year earlier, the largest gain of any Louisiana metro area.
The gains in New Orleans brought employment in the metro area to 584,800. It was the eighth straight over-the-year gain in employment for New Orleans.
Louisiana added 16,600 nonfarm jobs over the year in October, a gain of 0.84 percent to 1,998,600 jobs, according to figures released Wednesday by the Louisiana Workforce Commission. The numbers were not seasonally adjusted.
Seven of nine metro areas in Louisiana added jobs over the year, while Alexandria and Houma posted losses.
In New Orleans, the largest gains were in education and health services, 3,800; leisure and hospitality, 2,000; construction, 2,600; and manufacturing, 1,300. Professional and business services lost 2,500 jobs during the period.
Statewide, the sectors that posted the largest job gains over the year were manufacturing, 4,900; education and health services, 4,400; and construction, 3,300. Mining and logging, which includes the state's oil and gas sector, also added 2,200 jobs over the year.
The only sectors to lose jobs were professional and business services, 3,700; government, 3,000; and information, 200.
Louisiana's unemployment rate was 4.7 percent on a non-seasonally-adjusted basis in October. The seasonally-adjusted U.S. rate was 3.7 percent.
BATON ROUGE: The Baton Rouge metro area added 5,900 jobs in October compared to a year earlier to 413,100. It was the second-largest gain of any Louisiana metro area during the period. Construction, up 4,100, showed the largest gain. Education and health services added 1,600 jobs. Trade, transportation and utilities fell by 800, while leisure and hospitality lost 900.
LAFAYETTE: The Acadiana region added 900 jobs to 202,200. Manufacturing, up 800, showed the largest gains, while education and health services and leisure and hospitality added 400 each. Professional and business services fell by 1,100 jobs over the year.
LAKE CHARLES: The Lake Charles region gained 3,500 jobs, mostly in construction, lifting employment to 121,100 — a record high as measured by the Workforce Commission. The gain is the 88th straight month Lake Charles has added jobs, and is the largest percentage gain of any Louisiana metro area. Construction added 2,200 jobs, while trade, transportation and utilities fell by 300.
OTHER METRO AREAS: Houma lost 500 jobs over the year, dragging employment to 85,700. Mining and logging added 300 jobs there over the year, only its second over-the-year gain in the region since December 2014. Hammond added 800 jobs, bringing employment to a record-high 47,700. Monroe gained 600 jobs over the year, bringing employment to 79,500. Shreveport added 900 jobs to 180,000 in October. Alexandria lost 100 jobs over the year, dragging employment to 62,400.