New Orleans-Metairie, Louisiana Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for New Orleans fell 0.0 percentage points in February 2018 to 4.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.5 percentage points lower than the Louisiana rate. The unemployment rate in New Orleans peaked in November 2010 at 8.3% and is now 4.3 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 4.0% in January 2018, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare New Orleans unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	February 2018	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	4.1%	0.0	-0.6
Louisiana	4.5%	-0.1	-1.2
New Orleans	4.0%	0.0	-1.2

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with February 2018 data as March 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 47,636. There are now 23,232 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 24,336 in January 2018, the number of unemployed has now grown by 68. New Orleans employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in New Orleans, Louisiana) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	February 2018	Month/Month	Year/Year
New Orleans	24,404	+68	-6,453

Number of Unemployed Persons

New Orleans, Louisiana Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Louisiana Unemployment Rate	New Orleans Unemployment Rate	New Orleans Unemployed
March 2018	4.1%	—	—	—
February 2018	4.1%	4.5%	4.0%	24,404
January 2018	4.1%	4.6%	4.0%	24,336
December 2017	4.1%	4.7%	4.2%	25,348
November 2017	4.1%	4.7%	4.3%	25,634
October 2017	4.1%	4.7%	4.3%	25,647
September 2017	4.2%	4.8%	4.9%	28,867
August 2017	4.4%	4.9%	5.0%	29,392
July 2017	4.3%	5.0%	4.9%	28,904
June 2017	4.3%	5.2%	5.0%	29,551
May 2017	4.3%	5.3%	5.3%	31,403
April 2017	4.4%	5.4%	5.5%	32,798