Eula Bruce
June 11, 2007Principal at Thibodaux High named
June 13, 2007Lafourche and Lafayette Parishes had the lowest unemployment rates in April for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Louisiana, according to figures released by Louisiana Works, or the Louisiana Department of Labor. The rate was 2.4 percent.
Both Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes saw a one-fifth of a percentage point decrease in unemployment from March to April. The unemployment rate in Terrebonne Parish is 2.6. The rate for April 2006 was 2.7, according to the labor department.
An MSA is a parish containing a city, or twin cities, with a population of 50,000 or more, and adjacent parishes that are socially and economically interconnected with the primary city.
MSAs are used by the U.S. Census Bureau, and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Of the eight MSAs in Louisiana, the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux MSA has the fifth-highest number of persons in the civilian labor force (101,413), behind New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner (502,588), Baton Rouge (364,945), Shreveport-Bossier City (181,676), and Lafayette (130,883).
The civilian labor force is the total number of employed and unemployed.
Non-farm employment in the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux MSA remained the same from March to April at 94,200, though the number increased 5,800 since April 2006. Louisiana Works divides non-farm employment into service-providing, and goods-producing categories. Respectively, both categories were unchanged from March to April at 70,900, and 23,300.
Non-farm employment is the civilian labor force not including the self-employed, unpaid family workers, domestic workers, and agricultural workers.
The Louisiana Works figures show that retail trade and transportation combined is the largest employer in the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux MSA. The figures show 10,500 people employed in retail, and 10,300 working in support activities for transportation and water transportation.
Government is the second-largest employer. 9,800 people work in local government, while state and federal government offices in the area employ 3,900 people.
The leisure and hospitality industry employs 7,400 people.
In the goods-producing category, the figures show 12,900 people working in natural resources and mining in the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux MSA, and 6,100 employed in construction.
The U.S. Census Bureau determines the size of the civilian labor force by calling roughly 750 randomly selected households in Louisiana, and requesting the number of persons working or looking for work.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics produces non-farm employment estimates by surveying 2,757 businesses in Louisiana, and receiving information directly from another 2,500 businesses.
For Louisiana, the civilian labor force numbers 2,009,996, with an unemployment rate of 4.3. The trade, transportation, and utilities industries employ the most people at 381,100, followed by government at 354,500.
Leisure and hospitality businesses employ 191,300.
Statewide, in the goods-producing category, the construction industry employs 135,800 people. 50,900 work in natural resources and mining.
Although Louisiana’s civilian labor force declined 6,784 in numbers from March to April, non-farm employment increased by 2,000 workers.
