BATON ROUGE – Preliminary data for July 2020 released today by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) shows that Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has decreased to 9.4 percent; down from June 2020’s revised seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 9.5 percent.

Since June 2020, the number of seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 16,931 from 1,805,027 to 1,821,958 in July 2020. Compared to July 2019, the number of seasonally adjusted employed individuals decreased by 170,505.

Since June 2020, the number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 2,482 from 190,530 to 188,048 in July 2020. Compared to July 2019, the number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals increased by 89,678.

“The LWC currently has over 70,000 jobs available to apply for on our Helping Individuals Reach Employment (HiRE) site, in addition to hosting numerous virtual job fairs every week for job-seekers who are in search of family-sustaining careers,” said LWC Secretary Ava Dejoie. “The LWC will continue to help individuals return to the workforce, and ensure the hiring needs of employers throughout the state are met.”

Industries that showed the largest gains for seasonally adjusted jobs for July 2020:

• Trade, Transportation, and Utilities gained 2,800 jobs from June 2020.

• Leisure and Hospitality gained 4,700 jobs from June 2020.

• Education and Health Services gained 3,600 jobs from June 2020.

Among Louisiana’s MSAs in June 2020, seasonally adjusted data shows:

• Alexandria gained 900 jobs from June 2020, but lost 3,200 jobs from July 2019.

• Baton Rouge gained 8,900 jobs from June 2020, but lost 27,700 jobs from July 2019.

• Hammond lost 200 jobs from June 2020 and lost 3,000 jobs from July 2019.

• Houma gained 900 jobs from June 2020, but lost 6,500 jobs from July 2019.

• Lafayette gained 2,800 jobs from June 2020, but lost 10,600 jobs from July 2019.

• Lake Charles lost 2,000 jobs from June 2020 and lost 14,700 jobs from July 2019.

• Monroe gained 1,100 jobs from June 2020, but lost 500 jobs from July 2019.

• New Orleans gained 5,100 jobs from June 2020, but lost 68,100 jobs from July 2019.

• Shreveport gained 700 jobs from June 2020, but lost 12,900 jobs from July 2019.

Since June 2020, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 18,800 jobs from 1,816,900 to 1,835,700 in July 2020. From July 2019, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment decreased 144,400 jobs.

Since June 2020, seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 11,400 jobs from 1,497,000 to 1,508,400 in July 2020. From July 2019, seasonally adjusted private sector employment decreased 141,000 jobs.

Since June 2020, Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted civilian labor force, or the number of people who are employed in addition to those looking for work increased by 14,449 from 1,995,557 to 2,010,006 in July 2020. From July 2019, the seasonally adjusted civilian labor force decreased by 80,827.

Not Seasonally Adjusted Data

Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 9.9 percent; down 0.5 percentage points from June 2020’s revised not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 10.4 percent.

Since June 2020, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 23,679 from 1,811,785 to 1,835,464 in July 2020. When compared to July 2019, the number of seasonally adjusted employed individuals decreased 164,890.

Since June 2020, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased 6,906 from 209,370 to 202,464 in July 2020. When compared to July 2019, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals increased by 86,715.

Since June 2020, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 2,600 jobs from 1,819,500 to 1,822,100 in July 2020. When compared to July 2019, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment decreased by 138,200 jobs.

Since June 2020, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 6,000 jobs from 1,503,500 to 1,509,500 in July 2020. When compared to July 2019, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment decreased by 134,000 jobs.

Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted civilian labor force, or the number of people who are employed in addition to those looking for work increased by 16,773 from 2,021,155 in June 2020 to 2,037,928 in July 2020. When compared to July 2019, Louisiana’s not seasonally adjusted civilian labor force decreased by 78,175.

July metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and parish unemployment rates will be released on August 28, 2020. For additional state and MSA data release dates, please click here.

Seasonally Adjusted vs. Not Seasonally Adjusted Data

Jobs and employment trends data are often difficult to understand because there are two different ways to look at the data, seasonally or non-seasonally adjusted data.

Seasonal adjustment works to measure and remove the influences of predictable seasonal patterns to reveal how employment and unemployment figures change from month to month. Not seasonally adjusted data retains seasonal employment trends.

Over the course of a year, the labor force size, available jobs and employment rates undergo predictable fluctuations due to seasonal changes in weather, harvests, major holidays, and school schedules. Seasonal adjustment reduces the impact of these changes, making it easier to understand trends. Seasonally adjusted data is best utilized when comparing several months of employment and jobs data, while not seasonally adjusted data is best used to compare over-the-year trends. Seasonally adjusted data are useful for comparisons among states and the nation.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission primarily uses seasonally adjusted data because it provides a more useful and telling picture of Louisiana’s jobs and employment situation.

To view all available employment data, visit Louisiana’s employment homepage at http://www.laworks.net and select Labor Market Information from the top-right menu. Then, select LOIS (Louisiana Occupational Information System) and select Employment and Wage Data listed under Data Trends. To view the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics for the state, click here. For BLS nonfarm employment data, click here.

This article originally appeared on Leesville Daily Leader: July 2020 Unemployment Data released