Morgan City man charged with stealing vehicle driven in fatal crash
October 6, 2009
James "Jim" Templet
October 8, 2009The Houma-Thibodaux metropolitan area had a substantially lower unemployment rate in August than any other metro area in Louisiana, but the rate has risen more than half from August 2008, according to figures released by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
The area’s unemployment rate was 5.5 percent in August. The next lowest was Lafayette’s 6.7 percent.
Lafourche had the smallest unemployment number of all parishes in the state at 5.3 percent. Terrebonne Parish’s 5.7 percent was tied for second lowest with St. Tammany Parish. No other parish posted a number below 6 percent.
The Houma-Thibodaux area’s unemployment rate rose three-fifths of a percentage point from July’s 4.9 percent and more than two percentage points from August 2008’s 3.4 percent. But the area added 300 jobs in August, for a total 96,500 jobs. Houma-Thibodaux had sustained more than 97,500 jobs for most of the first half of the year.
All of the growth in August came in the service-providing sector. Jobs in the goods-producing sector, such as in oil and gas extraction and construction, remained the same from July at 21,100.
Louisiana is one of only two states to show growth in the construction industry during 2009, according to the workforce commission, adding 4,400 jobs. The state has the 18th lowest unemployment rate in the country at 7.8 percent.
Every metro area in Louisiana gained jobs in August except Shreveport and Baton Rouge, which lost 1,300 and 800 jobs, respectively. New Orleans led in job gains with 700.
St. Mary Parish’s 9 percent unemployment rate in August was also a sharp increase from August 2008’s 4.9 percent, a rise of more than 4 percentage points.
St. Mary’s unemployment rate in July was 8.6 percent.
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities is the biggest employer in Houma-Thibodaux, providing 25,300 jobs in August, an increase of 300 from the previous August. Government is the second-largest employer.
In the goods-producing sector, support activities for the oil and gas extraction industry was the biggest employer in the area in August, supplying 5,900 jobs, a decrease of 300 from August 2008.
