NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana’s annual employment growth slowed in August as the national economy continued to stagger, but the state still showed a boost of 18,200 non-farm jobs from a year ago, the state labor department reported Thursday.
On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the state added 6,500 non-farm jobs from July. When seasonal factors are calculated, the labor department said the tally reached 9,400 — the largest month-to-month increase in the United States.
But the latest report does not factor in the September hits of hurricanes Gustav and Ike in Louisiana. On Thursday, the federal Labor Department, in a preliminary calculation, said the two hurricanes added about 50,000 new jobless claims in Louisiana and Texas last week.
Federal officials said that Louisiana reported an increase in claims of 18,409 during that week of Sept. 13, mostly due to Gustav.
In the August-to-August comparison, goods-producing jobs showed a net gain — without seasonal adjustments — of 1,200. In a continuation of post-2005 storm trends, construction jumped 2,800 jobs and petroleum gained 100. Manufacturing slid by 1,700.
The service-providing sector added 17,000 jobs over the year with the largest gains recorded in government, leisure-hospitality and education and health services.
From July 2007 to July 2008, Louisiana gained 32,700 non-farm jobs. The count rose by 24,800 between June 2007 and June 2007.
On a seasonal basis, Louisiana’s unemployment rate in August was 5 percent, up from 4.4 percent in July. The national rate for August was 6.1 percent, an increase from 5.7 percent in July.
 
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