\nhttp:\/\/www.dailycomet.com\/article\/20100925\/ARTICLES\/100929464\/1212?Title=Despite-fears-following-spill-local-jobless-rate-holds-steady <\/p>\n
By Kathrine Schmidt
\nStaff Writer
\nPublished: Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 6:01 a.m.<\/p>\n
HOUMA – Despite fears about the economic impact of the Gulf oil spill and deepwater-drilling ban, employment remained steady in the Houma-Thibodaux area in August, state figures show.<\/p>\n
The metro-area unemployment rate of 5.9 percent is still the state’s lowest, the Louisiana Workforce Commission reported Friday. It’s up from 5.2 percent in July, but that’s a typical seasonal change as summer workers are released from jobs, state officials said. That compares to 5.5 percent in August 2009.<\/p>\n
“The state and other areas are pretty much holding their own,” said Patty Granier, a statistician with the state agency. “We don’t see any big trend down. (Businesses) are trying to maintain and keep as many workers as they can.”<\/p>\n
The local numbers are well below the state rate of 8.2 percent and the national rate of 9.5 percent.<\/p>\n
Terrebonne posted 6 percent and Lafourche 5.7 percent. Those numbers aren’t adjusted for seasonal variations such as summer employees looking for new jobs and teachers returning to work.<\/p>\n
Louisiana showed a gain of 13,700 jobs over the year.<\/p>\n
“We continue to see over-the-year gains in the number of jobs and people in the labor force,” Workforce Commission Executive Director Curt Eysink said in a news release. “The fact that private sector jobs are fueling the yearly growth is a positive sign.”<\/p>\n
The state numbers also show the Houma-Thibodaux area gaining an estimated 300 jobs since July, thanks to school teachers employed by local government getting back to the classroom.<\/p>\n
But the metro area still has about 200 fewer jobs than it did a year ago. Oil-and-gas jobs and construction jobs maintained their employment levels, as did positions in leisure and hospitality.<\/p>\n
In neighboring parishes, Assumption posted a 10.7 percent jobless rate in August, St. Mary 9.7 percent and St. James 12.4 percent.<\/p>\n
While the official numbers haven’t budged much, the state’s count of workers does not track the cuts to hours and benefits that oilfield workers said they have been experiencing as a result of the deepwater-drilling ban.<\/p>\n
Some of that pain has been reflected in an increased demand for assistance, including requests from many families who haven’t had to use them before.<\/p>\n
Jennifer Gaudet, a case worker with Catholic Charities of Houma-Thibodaux, said that since mid-July the organization has seen a significant increase in cases for families asking about programs that provide help with food, utility bills and rent or mortgage payments.<\/p>\n
Staff Writer Kathrine Schmidt can be reached at 857-2204 or Kathrine.schmidt@houmatoday.com.<\/p>\n
Special thanks to Richard Charter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
http:\/\/www.dailycomet.com\/article\/20100925\/ARTICLES\/100929464\/1212?Title=Despite-fears-following-spill-local-jobless-rate-holds-steady By Kathrine Schmidt Staff Writer Published: Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 6:01 a.m. HOUMA – Despite fears about the economic impact of the Gulf oil spill and deepwater-drilling ban, employment remained steady in the Houma-Thibodaux area in August, state figures show. The metro-area unemployment rate of 5.9 percent is still the state’s lowest, the … Continue reading Daily Comet: Despite fears following spill, local jobless rate holds steady<\/span>