New Orleans-Metairie, Louisiana Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for New Orleans rose 0.1 percentage points in January 2020 to 4.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points lower than the Louisiana rate. The unemployment rate in New Orleans peaked in October 2010 at 8.2% and is now 3.6 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 4.0% in June 2019, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.6 percentage points. You can also compare New Orleans unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	January 2020	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	3.6%	+0.1	-0.4
Louisiana	5.3%	+0.1	+0.6
New Orleans	4.6%	+0.1	0.0

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with January 2020 data as February metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: New Orleans, Louisiana, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

New Orleans, Louisiana Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in New Orleans peaked in November 2010 at 47,058. There are now 19,459 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 24,157 in August 2019, the number of unemployed has now grown by 3,442. New Orleans employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in New Orleans, Louisiana) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	January 2020	Month/Month	Year/Year
New Orleans	27,599	+791	+232

Number of Unemployed Persons

New Orleans, Louisiana Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Louisiana Unemployment Rate	New Orleans Unemployment Rate	New Orleans Unemployed
February 2020	3.5%	—	—	—
January 2020	3.6%	5.3%	4.6%	27,599
December 2019	3.5%	5.2%	4.5%	26,808
November 2019	3.5%	5.2%	4.3%	25,783
October 2019	3.6%	5.2%	4.1%	24,840
September 2019	3.5%	5.1%	4.0%	24,212
August 2019	3.7%	4.9%	4.0%	24,157
July 2019	3.7%	4.7%	4.0%	24,216
June 2019	3.7%	4.6%	4.0%	24,192
May 2019	3.6%	4.5%	4.1%	24,333
April 2019	3.6%	4.5%	4.2%	24,955
March 2019	3.8%	4.5%	4.4%	26,129