The state’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is the lowest on record dating back to 1976.  The rate dropped to 3.5% in April in the numbers that come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Workforce Commission Director Ava Dejoie says it is welcomed news for the state.

“We’re very pleased.  We have work to do.  We want to continue to provide an opportunity to our citizens, but when we have people working, that’s always a good sign,” said Dejoie.

The area seeing the most growth is New Orleans with 1,600 jobs over the month, followed by Baton Rouge with 1,300.  Dejoie says the sectors seeing the largest growths are education and healthcare sector as well as the professional and business service sector.

“Both in the seasonal figures and the non-seasonal figures, those occupations have shown significant increases,” said Dejoie.

Dejoie says the seasonally adjusted rate of unemployment is down as well.  That number has dropped to 4.5% in April.

“That is down 0.2 over last month’s rate, so we continue to see growth in the right direction in that number as well,” said Dejoie.

The previous low was set eleven years ago in April 2008 at 3.6%.

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