Department of Numbers

New Orleans-Metairie, Louisiana Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for New Orleans rose 0.1 percentage points in May 2023 to 3.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points higher than the Louisiana rate. The unemployment rate in New Orleans peaked in April 2020 at 17.6% and is now 13.8 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.5% in July 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.3 percentage points. You can also compare New Orleans unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.7% +0.3 +0.1
Louisiana 3.6% 0.0 +0.1
New Orleans 3.8% +0.1 0.0
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with May 2023 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: New Orleans, Louisiana, National

New Orleans, Louisiana monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

New Orleans, Louisiana Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in New Orleans peaked in April 2020 at 100,042. There are now 77,529 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 20,489 in August 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 2,024. New Orleans employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in New Orleans, Louisiana) is also available.

Unemployed Persons May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
New Orleans 22,513 +567 +309

Number of Unemployed Persons

New Orleans, Louisiana Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Louisiana
Unemployment Rate
New Orleans
Unemployment Rate
New Orleans
Unemployed
June
2023
3.6%
May
2023
3.7% 3.6% 3.8% 22,513
April
2023
3.4% 3.6% 3.7% 21,946
March
2023
3.5% 3.6% 3.6% 21,690
February
2023
3.6% 3.6% 3.6% 21,462
January
2023
3.4% 3.5% 3.6% 21,052
December
2022
3.5% 3.5% 3.6% 21,117
November
2022
3.6% 3.6% 3.6% 21,046
October
2022
3.7% 3.6% 3.5% 20,824
September
2022
3.5% 3.6% 3.5% 20,570
August
2022
3.7% 3.5% 3.5% 20,489
July
2022
3.5% 3.5% 3.5% 20,742

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.