The Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area added 200 jobs from April to May to bring its total to 423,800, according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
Compared to May 2023, Baton Rouge has added 6,800 jobs—the largest year-over-year job gain reported by any of Louisiana’s nine MSAs.
Of Louisiana’s nine MSAs, only Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Houma and New Orleans added jobs from April to May. Monroe reported the largest loss of jobs over that period, shedding 600.
Overall, Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.1% in May—lower than the 4.3% posted in April but higher than the 3.4% reported in May 2023.
“This month’s unemployment rate is the fourth-lowest in series history for May,” says Susana Schowen, secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
Nationally, the U.S. unemployment rate stood at 4% in May, up from the 3.9% posted in April and the 3.7% reported in May 2023.
