Employment is on the rise in the Bayou State.

In May, nonfarm employment increased by 10,500 jobs, the best one month gain since July of 2011. Executive Director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission Ava Dejoie says there's been a noticeable improvement to the state's employment landscape over the past month.

“Of course healthcare, education, business services. For the first time, second month in a row actually, we haven’t seen a job loss in Lafayette.”

Private sector employment increased by more than 9,00 jobs over the month of May. Dejoie says our economy is tied to oil and gas but we’re turning the tide and diversifying the economy.

“We’re constantly look at ways that those folks that had been engaged in the oil and gas industry can transition to other industries, as well as, be ready when those industries rebound.”

Even with these improvements, Louisiana unemployment rate is 5.7%, the third highest in the country. But Dejoie says the industrial boom in Lake Charles has created an additional 1,600 jobs in May and flood recovery efforts are also producing jobs.

“Construction as a whole we expect to see increases, now with the Restore Louisiana Fund flowing we expect to see an uptick in the home sector.”

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