Louisiana’s payroll employment reached a record 2,022,000 jobs in August, rising by 5,500 during the month and 32,100 over the year. The state’s unemployment rate also fell 0.2 percentage points to 4.2%, according to a Sept. 18 state report from Louisiana Works.

Private-sector employment set a record as well, increasing by 5,600 jobs from July to 1,696,100 and standing 31,400 above August 2025. The household survey estimated 2,019,252 employed residents, an increase of 16,327 over the year. The number counted as unemployed fell by 3,964 during August to 88,198, the workforce data show.

Three sectors led the monthly gains. Trade, transportation and utilities added 2,000 jobs, private education and health services gained 1,900, and construction added 1,200. Education and health employment reached 359,500, also a record. Over the year, construction added 17,200 jobs, education and health gained 7,900, and professional and business services added 7,000, according to the same sector breakdown.

A gain with statewide reach

All 10 Louisiana metropolitan statistical areas had more jobs than a year earlier. Baton Rouge posted the largest stated gain, adding 14,600 jobs, while the Slidell area reached a record 103,400 after adding 1,400 over the year. Those metro figures are not seasonally adjusted, meaning they are best used for year-over-year comparisons rather than as a direct measure of short-term momentum.

Federal data place the result among the stronger state performances in August. The BLS release identified Louisiana’s 0.2-point unemployment decline as statistically significant. It also found that Louisiana’s 1.6% annual payroll growth tied New Mexico and South Carolina for the largest percentage increase among states. The state’s gain of 32,100 jobs was measured from August 2025 to August 2026.

The congressional Joint Economic Committee’s national comparison shows why the distinction between direction and statistical significance matters. Payrolls rose numerically in 35 states and fell in 16, but the federal labor agency classified employment as significantly higher in only four states. Small changes can fall within the surveys’ sampling uncertainty.

For workers and employers, the August report points to broadening demand rather than growth confined to one industry. Construction accounted for more than half of Louisiana’s annual payroll gain, while health-related and professional services also expanded. Still, the figures are preliminary and can be revised, and a record job count does not by itself measure wage growth, job quality or whether hiring kept pace with population needs.

The seasonally adjusted figures are designed to remove recurring hiring patterns tied to holidays, school calendars and other predictable events. Separate unadjusted figures showed a 3.7% jobless rate, but the data notes say that measure is more useful for year-over-year comparisons than month-to-month tracking.

Louisiana Works said statewide September data are scheduled for Oct. 20, with parish and metro figures due Oct. 28. Those releases will test whether August’s combination of lower unemployment and record payrolls persisted beyond a single month.