Department of Numbers

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Baton Rouge fell 0.0 percentage points in February 2021 to 6.4%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.2 percentage points lower than the Louisiana rate. The unemployment rate in Baton Rouge peaked in April 2020 at 13.9% and is now 7.5 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 6.4% in December 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Baton Rouge unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.2% -0.1 +2.7
Louisiana 7.6% 0.0 +2.4
Baton Rouge 6.4% 0.0 +1.6
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with February 2021 data as March metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, National

Baton Rouge, Louisiana monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Baton Rouge peaked in April 2020 at 53,570. There are now 26,536 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 26,919 in January 2021, the number of unemployed has now grown by 115. Baton Rouge employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Baton Rouge 27,034 +115 +6,756

Number of Unemployed Persons

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Louisiana
Unemployment Rate		 Baton Rouge
Unemployment Rate		 Baton Rouge
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 7.6% 6.4% 27,034
January
2021		 6.3% 7.6% 6.4% 26,919
December
2020		 6.7% 7.9% 6.4% 27,024
November
2020		 6.7% 7.9% 7.5% 31,512
October
2020		 6.9% 7.9% 8.0% 34,044
September
2020		 7.8% 8.0% 6.7% 28,552
August
2020		 8.4% 8.2% 6.7% 28,397
July
2020		 10.2% 9.1% 8.6% 34,676
June
2020		 11.1% 9.4% 8.8% 34,858
May
2020		 13.3% 13.1% 13.0% 52,976
April
2020		 14.8% 13.1% 13.9% 53,570

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. ↩

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