Parishes with the highest unemployment in Louisiana
Parishes with the highest unemployment in Louisiana
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of parishes with the highest unemployment rates in Louisiana using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Parishes are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that parish, though some ties may remain. Parish-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the parishes with the highest unemployment in Louisiana.
#50. Red River Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,749 people (156 unemployed)
#49. Jackson Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,192 people (302 unemployed)
#48. Plaquemines Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,583 people (398 unemployed)
#47. Terrebonne Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 44,980 people (1,879 unemployed)
#46. St. Tammany Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 118,317 people (4,947 unemployed)
#45. Pointe Coupee Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,740 people (422 unemployed)
#44. Rapides Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 54,504 people (2,335 unemployed)
#43. Beauregard Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,511 people (634 unemployed)
#42. Lincoln Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,201 people (926 unemployed)
#41. Grant Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,076 people (363 unemployed)
#40. Natchitoches Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,336 people (777 unemployed)
#39. St. Martin Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,899 people (984 unemployed)
#38. Vermilion Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,864 people (1,077 unemployed)
#37. Evangeline Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,249 people (560 unemployed)
#36. Iberville Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,857 people (639 unemployed)
#35. Acadia Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,618 people (1,082 unemployed)
#34. Ouachita Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 68,698 people (3,183 unemployed)
#33. Assumption Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,726 people (409 unemployed)
#32. Allen Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,085 people (386 unemployed)
#31. Avoyelles Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,240 people (689 unemployed)
#30. St. Bernard Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,641 people (951 unemployed)
#29. Caddo Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 100,076 people (4,820 unemployed)
#28. Sabine Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,330 people (461 unemployed)
#27. Jefferson Davis Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,026 people (592 unemployed)
#26. Iberia Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,269 people (1,337 unemployed)
#25. Tangipahoa Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 57,115 people (2,845 unemployed)
#24. Union Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,926 people (458 unemployed)
#23. De Soto Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,767 people (546 unemployed)
#22. Washington Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,181 people (883 unemployed)
#21. St. John the Baptist Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,687 people (951 unemployed)
#20. St. Mary Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,599 people (955 unemployed)
#19. St. Landry Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,429 people (1,592 unemployed)
#18. Orleans Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 173,436 people (8,803 unemployed)
#17. Winn Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,769 people (250 unemployed)
#16. Catahoula Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,575 people (190 unemployed)
#15. Claiborne Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,345 people (284 unemployed)
#14. Webster Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,990 people (745 unemployed)
#13. St. James Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,766 people (476 unemployed)
#12. Caldwell Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,662 people (203 unemployed)
#11. Bienville Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,037 people (285 unemployed)
#10. Richland Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,977 people (461 unemployed)
#9. Vernon Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,310 people (962 unemployed)
#8. Concordia Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,763 people (409 unemployed)
#7. St. Helena Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,286 people (262 unemployed)
#6. Franklin Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,111 people (434 unemployed)
#5. Tensas Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,251 people (84 unemployed)
#4. Morehouse Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,425 people (639 unemployed)
#3. Madison Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,380 people (232 unemployed)
#2. West Carroll Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,411 people (321 unemployed)
#1. East Carroll Parish
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,592 people (156 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
