Department of Numbers

Lake Charles, Louisiana Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Lake Charles rose 0.1 percentage points in December 2011 to 6.4%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the Louisiana rate. The unemployment rate in Lake Charles peaked in May 2011 at 7.7% and is now 1.3 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 5.9% in September 2011, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.5 percentage points. You can also compare Lake Charles unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate December 2011 Month/Month Year/Year
National 8.5% -0.2 -0.9
Louisiana 6.8% -0.1 -0.9
Lake Charles 6.4% +0.1 -0.9
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with December 2011 data as January metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Lake Charles, Louisiana, National

Lake Charles, Louisiana monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Lake Charles, Louisiana Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Lake Charles peaked in May 2011 at 7,277. There are now 1,272 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 5,577 in September 2011, the number of unemployed has now grown by 428.

Unemployed Persons December 2011 Month/Month Year/Year
Lake Charles 6,005 +89 -959

Number of Unemployed Persons

Lake Charles, Louisiana Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Louisiana
Unemployment Rate
Lake Charles
Unemployment Rate
Lake Charles
Unemployed
January
2012
8.3%
December
2011
8.5% 6.8% 6.4% 6,005
November
2011
8.7% 6.9% 6.3% 5,916
October
2011
8.9% 7.0% 6.1% 5,745
September
2011
9.0% 6.9% 5.9% 5,577
August
2011
9.1% 7.2% 6.1% 5,774
July
2011
9.1% 7.6% 6.5% 6,211
June
2011
9.1% 7.8% 7.0% 6,633
May
2011
9.0% 8.2% 7.7% 7,277
April
2011
9.0% 8.1% 7.6% 7,207
March
2011
8.9% 8.1% 7.6% 7,194
February
2011
9.0% 7.9% 7.5% 7,061
January
2011
9.1% 7.8% 7.3% 6,883

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.