La. jobs up 43,600 over year; Houma gains 2,400

(AP) Louisiana gained 43,600 non-farm jobs in the year ending Sept. 30, and more than one-third of those were in the New Orleans region, the state Labor Department reported Thursday.

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the state added 13,400 jobs in September – 2,300 in the New Orleans area. However, the struggling region still has about 100,000 fewer jobs than shortly before Hurricane Katrina struck on Aug. 29, 2005.

The goods-producing sector, including petroleum and related industries, manufacturing and construction, had 3,700 more jobs in September than in September 2006, but dropped by 700 from August to September of this year.

The service sector added 39,900 over the year, 14,100 of those in September.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the state’s unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in September, up from 3.8 percent in August. The national unemployment rate for September was 4.7 percent.

There were 8,811 new and renewed claims for jobless compensation filed in September, compared with 9,925 in August and 10,773 in September 2006. The number of recipients exhausting their jobless coverage totaled 1,709 in September, compared with 1,578 the previous month and 1,558 in September 2006.

Construction fueled the increase in the overall goods-producing sector, producing 5,000 new jobs over the past year. The petroleum sector, despite record oil prices, fell by 100, while manufacturing shed 1,200.

In the service sector, big gainers over the past 12 months included retail trade with 5,300 new jobs, educational and health services with 6,500 additional jobs, leisure-hospitality with 9,500 new jobs and state government with 7,000 jobs.

“In general the numbers look pretty good,” said Loren Scott, professor emeritus of economics at Louisiana State University. “We have some pretty good growth around some key sectors.”

Scott said the fall in the petroleum industry was “a bit unnerving” in light of a recent drop in the state’s rig count amid record high oil prices. He said that could be due to rigs being shifted to better production areas.

The fall in manufacturing jobs, according to Scott, is likely tied to two major plant closures: the Tembec Inc. paper mill at St. Francisville, which had 540 employees, and the Guide Corp. vehicle lighting plant at Monroe, which had about 640 workers.

Among the state’s metropolitan areas:

– Goods-providing jobs expanded by 1,900 over the past year in the New Orleans area, while service jobs grew by 13,500. From August to September, the sector added 100 jobs, while the service sector grew by 2,200.

– Baton Rouge added 8,400 jobs over the past 12 months, with 3,800 coming in September. Although goods-producing jobs fell by 200 over the month, they still were up 1,300 for the 12 months. Service jobs increased by 100 over the month and 1,300 for the previous 12 months.

– Houma-Thibodaux gained 2,400 non-farm jobs over the year, including 300 in September. Goods-producing jobs jumped 200 in September and 1,100 over the year, while service jobs rose 100 during September and 1,300 over the year.

– Lafayette saw non-farm employment rise by 2,600 over the year, though the number declined by 100 in September. Goods-producing jobs dropped by 100 in September and managed a gain of 100 for the year. Service jobs were unchanged in September and up by 2,500 from a year ago.

– Lake Charles’ non-farm employment was unchanged in September and up by 1,100 over a year ago. Goods-producing jobs fell by 200 in September and showed no change over the year. Service jobs rose by 200 in September and 1,100 over the year.

– Shreveport-Bossier City saw its non-farm employment fall by 100 jobs in September, though the region was up by 3,500 jobs from a year ago. Goods-producing jobs fell by 100 in September and were up by 300 over the year. The service sector gained 3,200 over the year, but was unchanged in September.

– Alexandria had 800 more non-farm jobs than a year ago, including a pickup of 300 in September. Goods-producing jobs, which rose by 100 last month, were unchanged over the year. Service jobs gained 200 over the month and 800 over the year.

– The Monroe area was up by 400 jobs over the monthly and yearly comparisons. Over the year, Monroe lost 400 goods-producing jobs and gained 800 service jobs.