Baton Rouge area gains 12,700 jobs over 12 months

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Boost expanded nonfarm job total to 396,000

BILL LODGE
blodge@theadvocate.com
July 26, 2014


The Baton Rouge metropolitan area gained more nonfarm jobs — 12,700 — in the 12 months that ended June 30 than any of Louisiana’s other seven metro areas.

Those numbers, reported by the Louisiana Workforce Commission on Friday, were not yet seasonally adjusted, but showed the Baton Rouge area increased its employment by 3.3 percent in the year since June 2013. That expanded the nine-parish area’s total nonfarm employment to 396,000.

“This preliminary data appears to be consistent with overall reports of the current excellent economic conditions — not just in the Baton Rouge area, but across all of south Louisiana,” said Michael DiResto, of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.

“These numbers are also consistent with the current low unemployment rate,” said DiResto, BRAC’s senior vice president for economic competitiveness.

Louisiana’s preliminary, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.7 percent last month.

Statewide, in seasonally adjusted figures, Louisiana’s nonfarm employment increased by nearly 1 percent over the past year, totaling 1.97 million on June 30.

“Louisiana is doing well, and we have a very strong growth forecast for years to come,” said Curt Eysink, LWC executive director.

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