The news from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for May was good for the state. But not good for Shreveport Bossier.
Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 4.4% in May. This puts the state unemployment rate at an eleven year low.
The Shreveport Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) reflected a loss of 300 jobs since April of this year. The total job loss from May 2018 was 2700.
The Shreveport MSA unemployment rate for April was 4.7%. The May rate has not been reported yet by the BLS. Shreveport’s unemployment rate had declined from 5.2% in December 2018.
The MSA covers four parishes: Caddo, Bossier, Webster, and De Soto. As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 439,000. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 estimate for the metro area is 440,933.
The BLS breakdown of increases/decreases in employment for the Shreveport MSA:
Total Nonfarm: -1.6
Mining and Logging: -17.6
Construction: -4.9
Manufacturing: 1.0
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities: -0.8
Information: -9.5
Financial Activities: 0.0
Professional and Business Services: -2.1
Education and Health Services: 0.3
Leisure and Hospitality: -1.3
Other Services: -1.5
Government: -1.7
Louisiana was one of six states with a lower unemployment rate in May. The average for the nation was 3.6 percent. Alaska had the highest May rate at 6.4 percent; Wisconsin was the lowest at 2.8 percent.