Louisiana's unemployment rate is nearly 2 points higher than the national average

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Baton Rouge leads Louisiana metro job growth for 12 months through June, adding 8,800 jobs

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Baton Rouge scored the biggest job growth of any of Louisiana’s nine metropolitan areas in June, adding 8,800 jobs — a 2.2 percent gain — over the same period a year earlier.

The state added 21,200 nonfarm jobs in June, a nearly 1.1 percent gain from June 2017. That was the ninth consecutive month the state had a year-over-year job increase. Seven of the state's metro areas posted gains for the 12-month period. Only Lafayette lost jobs, while Houma-Thibodaux was flat.

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Looking at the trends, upstream oil and gas employers are still shedding jobs in Louisiana.

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Baton Rouge had 414,400 nonfarm jobs in June, compared to 405,600 a year ago. The gains were powered by construction, up 2,300 jobs for a 4.5 percent gain, and accommodation and food services, up by 1,700 jobs for a nearly 5 percent gain. The Capital Region was down 500 information jobs from June 2017, an 8.5 percent drop.

LAFAYETTE: The Acadiana region, which has been hard hit by low crude oil prices, continued to shed jobs. There were 400 fewer jobs in the area than a year earlier for a 0.2 percent drop. Mining, logging and construction dropped by 700 jobs, or 2.9 percent. Retail trade was down by 600 jobs, or 2 percent. Manufacturing added 900 jobs, a 6 percent gain.

NEW ORLEANS: The Crescent City added 4,300 nonfarm jobs, a 0.8 percent gain from a year ago. The information sector picked up 1,000 jobs, a 15.2 percent gain. Hospitals added 2,100 jobs, a 9.3 percent gain. Professional and business services shed 1,600 jobs, a 2.1 percent drop from June 2017.

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If the above seemed bad, this is even worse:

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Statewide, the nonseasonally adjusted unemployment rate in June was 6.1 percent, up from 5.8 percent a year ago and above the national unemployment average of 4.2 percent. Baton Rouge's unemployment rate was 5.4 percent, up from 5.2 percent; New Orleans, 5.8 percent, up from 5.5 percent; and Lafayette, 6.1 percent, down from 6.2 percent.

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Louisiana's unemployment rate is climbing while the rest of the country is seeing reduced unemployment. All of the largest metropolitan areas in Louisiana have higher unemployment than the national average, with Lafayette leading the way at 6.1%.

Louisiana's unemployment rate is nearly 2 points higher than the national average right now and trending worse.