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UNEMPLOY.ASC
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1990-09-18
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Shreveport-Bossier City's unemployment rate climbed to 6.8 percent in
June from 6.5 percent in May as high school and college graduates entered the
job market and school support personnel were laid off for the summer. An
increase isn't good news, but the figures, released Wednesday by the Louisiana
Department of Employment and Training carry some indication that
Shreveport-Bossier City's economy is improving, said Ray Mitchell, the
department's labor analyst in Shreveport. For example: * Joblessness
increased throughout Louisiana as the school year ended, but at a greater rate
than in Shreveport-Bossier City.
* About 2,500 more people were working in Shreveport-Bossier City in
June than in the same month of 1989. * The June 1989 rate was 9 percent,
meaning 14,400 people were unemployed, compared to 10,900 last month. "It's
improving some, and it looks like some sectors are coming back a little,"
Mitchell said. Manufacturing and mining, which have steadily declined most
months over the last four years, added 200 jobs each. Other gains came in
construction, transportation/public utilities and retail trade, Mitchell said.
The total 1,200 jobs added in June, however, matched the number lost in
services, finance/insurance/real estate and local government, which includes
school support personnel.
"The big loss - 800 jobs - came in local government, but that usually
happens in June. You get new entrants and re-entrants in the job market and
reduced payroll in the schools," Mitchell said. The school system personnel
include bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other hourly employees who are paid
on a nine-month basis, he said. The major indication of improvement, Mitchell
said, is the creation of jobs while the labor pool - people working or
available to work - has increased. In June a total of 148,500 residents of
Caddo and Bossier parishes had jobs, compared to 146,000 in June 1989. The
labor pool grew by 1,000 - to 160,400 - at the same time, reversing the trend
since the mid-1980's, he said.
In the last few years, some economists have said, unemployment levels
throughout Louisiana have fallen because people have moved out of the state
and left cities with smaller labor pools. "Improvement has been gradual. You
hardly notice it until you compare figures from year to year," Mitchell said.
Statewide, unemployment in June climbed to 7 percent from 6.1 percent in May,
according to the Department of Employment and Training. A year ago in June,
unemployment was 8.9 percent, department officials said. Louisiana's civilian
labor force was 1.9 million with total employment nearing 1.8 million in June.
Total unemployment was just over 1.3 million. Officials said slight increases
in claims for unemployment insurance are normal in June, when more people
enter the labor force.
The national unemployment rate for June 1990 was 5.3 percent.
Louisiana had the nation's ninth highest unemployment rate in May 1990. West
Carroll Parish led the state with 17.7 percent unemployment. Cameron Parish
had the lowest rate - 3.9 percent. Unemployment figures for Northwest
Louisiana parishes was as follows: * Bienville - 7.4 percent, up from 6.9
percent in May. * DeSoto, 7.5 percent, unchanged from May. * Lincoln, 4
percent, up from 3.5 percent.
*** From The (Shreveport) Times, Shreveport, LA ***