Jobless rates up across the area

Unemployment rates across the region jumped upward in January, according to the latest figures from the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
In St. Mary, the January unemployment rate was 4.8%, up from 4.2% in December and from 4.1% in January 2023.
The commission reported that 17,765 people were employed in St. Mary in January, down by 313 from December and by 766 from January 2023.
The number of unemployed people here was 904 in January, up 118 from December.
Assumption Parish’s jobless rate was 4.8% in January, up from 4.2% in December and from 4.6% in January 2023. Employment was at 8,395, down 62 from December. The number of unemployed was up 45 month over month to 420.
In St. Martin, January joblessness was at 4.3%, up from 3.8% in December. Employment was at 20,978, down 84 from December. The number of unemployed people was up 154 to 947.
Unemployment in the Houma-Thibodaux region was also up but remains below 4%. Lafourche’s unemployment rate in January was 3.8% in January, up from 3.3% in December, while Terrebonne’s jobless rate rose from 3.5% to 3.9%.
Statewide, the unemployment rate was 4.1% in January.
Total nonfarm employment was at 1.96 million, up 7,600 from December. Private sector employment rose by 6,400.
The big growth was in construction, where the state added 2,400 jobs in January, and in professional and business services, which added 1,200 jobs.