Employment
There are over 170,000 jobs in the Central Louisiana (Cenla) region, including military, farm workers, railroad workers, and proprietors. Government, health care and social assistance are the largest sectors in terms of employment followed by retail trade and construction. The table below shows the number of jobs by sector for the past three years.
|
Description
|
2006 Jobs
|
2007 Jobs
|
2008 Jobs
|
|
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
|
8,132
|
7,954
|
7,952
|
|
Mining
|
1,023
|
1,091
|
1,143
|
|
Utilities
|
611
|
645
|
626
|
|
Construction
|
11,498
|
11,689
|
11,674
|
|
Manufacturing
|
9,382
|
9,734
|
9,701
|
|
Wholesale trade
|
4,176
|
4,283
|
4,412
|
|
Retail trade
|
18,073
|
18,452
|
18,115
|
|
Transportation and warehousing
|
4,683
|
4,681
|
4,496
|
|
Information
|
1,920
|
1,856
|
1,885
|
|
Finance and insurance
|
4,975
|
5,083
|
5,166
|
|
Real estate and rental and leasing
|
3,900
|
4,017
|
4,065
|
|
Professional and technical services
|
7,495
|
7,651
|
8,126
|
|
Management of companies and enterprises
|
931
|
932
|
968
|
|
Administrative and waste services
|
8,474
|
7,761
|
8,067
|
|
Educational services
|
2,191
|
2,208
|
2,321
|
|
Health care and social assistance
|
19,547
|
20,384
|
21,053
|
|
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
|
1,280
|
1,424
|
1,439
|
|
Accommodation and food services
|
9,826
|
9,952
|
10,621
|
|
Other services, except public administration
|
8,529
|
8,573
|
8,586
|
|
Government
|
44,961
|
44,769
|
45,422
|
|
|
171,607
|
173,142
|
175,836
|
Source: EMSI Complete Employment - Fall 2008
From 2002 to 2008, the Cenla region saw job growth in excess of 10%. Exceptionally strong growth appeared in the professional and technical services group, whose six-year change in employment surpassed 3,400 jobs, roughly 74% growth in 2002. Most sectors in the Cenla region remained stable or saw some level of growth, with the exception of agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting, government, 
utilities and management of companies and enterprises. While agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting lost employment, the sector still has an employment concentration of more than twice the national average.
utilities and management of companies and enterprises. While agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting lost employment, the sector still has an employment concentration of more than twice the national average.