Lafayette, Louisiana Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Lafayette rose 0.1 percentage points in March 2013 to 4.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.6 percentage points lower than the Louisiana rate. The unemployment rate in Lafayette peaked in October 2010 at 6.4% and is now 1.8 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 4.0% in December 2012, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.6 percentage points. You can also compare Lafayette unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | March 2013 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 7.6% | -0.1 | -0.6 |
| Louisiana | 6.2% | +0.2 | -0.6 |
| Lafayette | 4.6% | +0.1 | -0.6 |
Unemployment Rate: Lafayette, Louisiana, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Lafayette, Louisiana Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Lafayette peaked in November 2010 at 8,793. There are now 2,255 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 5,721 in December 2012, the number of unemployed has now grown by 817. Lafayette employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Lafayette, Louisiana) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | March 2013 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette | 6,538 | +126 | -721 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Lafayette, Louisiana Unemployment History
| Date |
National Unemployment Rate |
Louisiana Unemployment Rate |
Lafayette Unemployment Rate |
Lafayette Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
April 2013 |
7.5% | 6.5% | — | — |
|
March 2013 |
7.6% | 6.2% | 4.6% | 6,538 |
|
February 2013 |
7.7% | 6.0% | 4.5% | 6,412 |
|
January 2013 |
7.9% | 5.9% | 4.4% | 6,225 |
|
December 2012 |
7.8% | 5.6% | 4.0% | 5,721 |
|
November 2012 |
7.8% | 5.7% | 4.1% | 5,815 |
|
October 2012 |
7.9% | 5.9% | 4.2% | 5,960 |
|
September 2012 |
7.8% | 6.1% | 4.4% | 6,147 |
|
August 2012 |
8.1% | 6.4% | 4.5% | 6,367 |
|
July 2012 |
8.2% | 6.6% | 4.7% | 6,602 |
|
June 2012 |
8.2% | 6.7% | 4.8% | 6,833 |
|
May 2012 |
8.2% | 6.8% | 5.0% | 7,023 |
|
April 2012 |
8.1% | 6.8% | 5.1% | 7,157 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

