Washington Parish unemployment was down over the month and over the year in April, dropping to 6 percent.
According to a May 23 report from the Louisiana Workforce Commission, a total of 14,106 parish citizens were employed in April, while 894 were out of a job.
The unemployment rate was at 6.3 percent in March, when 13,976 people were employed and 943 were without work.
In April 2013, unemployment stood at 7.9 percent. That month, 14,090 parish citizens were employed and 1,212 were unemployed.
Unemployment in neighboring St. Tammany Parish was at 3.7 percent in April, 3.8 percent in March and 4.9 percent the previous April.
Nearby Tangipahoa Parish saw a jobless rate of 5.1 percent for April, 5.3 percent for March and 6.8 percent for April 2013.
Statewide, the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in April, improving 0.2 percentage points from the 4.5 percent seen in March and 1.5 percentage points from the April 2013 rate of 5.8 percent.
Additionally, the unemployment rate improved from March to April in each of the state’s eight metro regions and all parishes except two. Those parishes are Union and Point Coupee, where the rate was unchanged for the month.
“Every region of our state has grown stronger, and we have more people working,” said Curt Eysink, LWC executive director. “Louisiana continues to be a great place for people to find a job, and the outlook is bright.”
The national unemployment rate was 5.9 percent for April, 6.8 percent for March and 7.1 percent for April 2013.