Jobs data shows Louisiana ‘muddling through’: Economist
Louisiana’s job market showed modest enhancement over the year but remains largely stagnant, an LSU Shreveport economist says. The state’s unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in November (below the U.S. rate of 4.6%), with unemployed residents dropping to about 88,684 from 96,134 a year earlier while the labor force stayed near 2.08 million. Douglas White described the situation as “muddling through,” with the rate bouncing between roughly 4% and 5% for about 18 months after a near‑3% dip in late 2022 that economists viewed as unsustainably low. Due to a federal shutdown, the November report focused on year‑over‑year comparisons. Other indicators looked stronger: Louisiana’s real GDP grew at a 4% annual rate in Q2 2025 and personal income rose 6.8% annually. Large investment announcements (Meta,Hut 8,Woodside Energy,Hyundai Steel) may boost the economy over time,but such projects don’t always produce immediate,broad labor‑market changes. The recent data suggest more people are entering the labor force and finding work rather than leaving it.
Jobs data shows Louisiana ‘muddling through’: Economist
(The Center Square) − Louisiana’s job market showed modest improvement over the past year, but the state’s economy remains mostly stagnant, an LSU Shreveport economist says.
Louisiana’s unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in November, tied for 33rd among the 50 states and lower than the national rate of 4.6%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of unemployed Louisianans declined to 88,684, down from 96,134 a year earlier, while the state’s labor force was essentially flat year over year, at about 2.08 million.
Douglas White, an economics instructor and director of LSU Shreveport’s Center for Business and Economic Research, said the latest figures fit a broader pattern.
“I’ve heard the phrase ‘muddling through’ – that there doesn’t seem to be strong growth, but there also doesn’t seem to be any kind of real contraction going on,” White said. “We’ve been bouncing between 4% and 5% … for the last, probably, 18 months or so.”
Louisiana’s unemployment rate dipped to nearly 3% in late 2022, a level that most economists viewed as unsustainable, he said.
The November state-by-state report was released after the federal government shutdown last fall delayed publication of October data. The November report emphasized over-the-year comparisons rather than the typical month-to-month change.
Economic indicators beyond employment were stronger. Louisiana’s real gross domestic product rose at a 4% annual rate in the second quarter of 2025, above the U.S. average, while personal income grew at a 6.8% annual rate, also outpacing the nation.
The growth preceded a string of big-ticket announcements, including Meta’s $10 billion data center in Richland Parish, Hut 8’s planned $10 billion AI data center campus in West Feliciana Parish, Woodside Energy’s $17.5 billion final investment decision for its liquefied natural gas facility and Hyundai Steel’s nearly $6 billion mill in Ascension Parish.
BYRON YORK: TRUMP, VENEZUELA, AND THE MIDTERM PIVOT TO THE ECONOMY
Projects that generate headlines don’t always translate immediately into broad-based labor-market shifts, White said. But Louisiana’s labor force has grown over the year without the unemployment rate rising, suggesting more people are working rather than leaving the job market.
“We’re seeing maybe people who weren’t in the labor force moving into the labor force,” White said.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
