The news from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for May was good for the state. But not good for Shreveport Bossier.

Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 4.4% in May. This puts the state unemployment rate at an eleven year low.

The Shreveport Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) reflected a loss of 300 jobs since April of this year. The total job loss from May 2018 was 2700.

The Shreveport MSA unemployment rate for April was 4.7%. The May rate has not been reported yet by the BLS. Shreveport’s unemployment rate had declined from 5.2% in December 2018.

The MSA covers four parishes: Caddo, Bossier, Webster, and De Soto. As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 439,000. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 estimate for the metro area is 440,933.

The BLS breakdown of increases/decreases in employment for the Shreveport MSA:

Total Nonfarm: -1.6

Mining and Logging: -17.6

Construction: -4.9

Manufacturing: 1.0

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities: -0.8

Information: -9.5

Financial Activities: 0.0

Professional and Business Services: -2.1

Education and Health Services: 0.3

Leisure and Hospitality: -1.3

Other Services: -1.5

Government: -1.7

Louisiana was one of six states with a lower unemployment rate in May. The average for the nation was 3.6 percent. Alaska had the highest May rate at 6.4 percent; Wisconsin was the lowest at 2.8 percent.