The local economy of Louisiana and its counties, metro areas and cities, from official US government data, plus daily local gas prices for the state, its counties and metro areas.
Unemployment rate
4.2%
0.0 ptsvs a year ago
Counties: lowest West Feliciana Parish 2.6%, highest East Carroll Parish 10.0%.
August 2026, seasonally adjusted, preliminary
Average weekly pay
$1,274
+4.0%vs a year ago
1,917,226 jobs at 159,569 business locations.
Q1 2026, all jobs
New homes permitted
14,034
-4.4%this year vs last year
Most in East Baton Rouge Parish 2,427, Lafayette Parish 1,495.
Homes in the last 12 months, to August 2026
People moving in
-17,408
-5.3 per 1,000residents
67,124 moved in and 84,532 moved out. Most newcomers came from Texas.
Net people, 2022 to 2023, the newest year published
Louisiana gas price
$3.94
+$1.24vs a year ago
Counties: lowest Concordia Parish $3.74, highest Tensas Parish $4.60. Counties and metro areas
Regular, per gallon, Louisiana, October 10, 2026
Newest data: -. Not seasonally adjusted: compare with the same month a year earlier. Click a row for the history of that area.
The state, its counties and metro areas, updated daily. A separate series from the weekly survey prices above.
Business locations, employees and payroll by industry, 2023. Click an industry for its US report.
Business locations
109K
+0.4%vs 2022
2023, places with paid employees
Employees
1.70M
+3.2%vs 2022
Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance (18.0%).
2023, mid-March
Annual payroll
$96.6B
Wages and salaries paid during the year.
2023, all industries
Average pay
$56,936
Highest sector: Utilities $125,526.
Per employee per year
Share of Louisiana's employees, 2023
| Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 154,817 | $20,796 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 90,182 | $74,052 |
| Utility System Construction | 50,177 | $78,406 |
| General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | 42,868 | $29,505 |
| Employment Services | 41,210 | $43,846 |
| Grocery Stores | 39,417 | $25,086 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 37,819 | $70,153 |
| Offices of Physicians | 37,209 | $97,885 |
| Individual and Family Services | 33,707 | $27,596 |
| Traveler Accommodation | 30,358 | $35,239 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 29,830 | $90,899 |
| Support Activities for Mining | 29,021 | $93,518 |
Most values are changed slightly to protect the privacy of single businesses; a few are withheld and shown as a range. Counties and metro areas have the same numbers in the area card above (Industries).
Offered pay in certified work-visa filings, fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Click a company for its jobs and salaries.
In fiscal year 2025, employers offered a median of $87,027 a year in 1,465 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Louisiana, unchanged from 2024 (US: $120,000). The largest job group was Software Developers. Fiscal year 2026 so far covers filings decided through Jun 30, 2026.
Median offered pay
$87,027
0.0%vs 2024
Middle half: $66,625 to $132,396.
H-1B, fiscal year 2025
H-1B filings
1,465
+9.2%vs 2024
2,718 positions asked for.
Certified, full-time, fiscal year 2025
Top job group
$103,408
Software Developers, 182 filings.
Median offered pay of the largest job group
Green card jobs
$48,235
+24.5%vs 2024
514 PERM filings.
PERM median, fiscal year 2025
Median and middle half of the offers in Louisiana, next to the US median. Hover a year for the numbers.
| Job group | Filings | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 182 | $103,408 |
| Physicians, All Other | 119 | $316,680 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 111 | $166,000 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | 76 | $53,248 |
| Registered Nurses | 51 | $67,392 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | 45 | $80,196 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 38 | $53,078 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 35 | $87,027 |
| Civil Engineers | 34 | $87,061 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 33 | $50,125 |
| Employer | Filings | Cities |
|---|---|---|
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation | 130 | 14 |
| Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund | 127 | 4 |
| CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc. GIB | 69 | 1 |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 61 | 1 |
| LSU Health Sciences Center - Shreveport | 59 | 2 |
| IBM Corporation IBM | 56 | 3 |
| Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, Inc. | 46 | 5 |
| Louisiana Children's Medical Center | 31 | 3 |
| LSU Agricultural Center | 25 | 4 |
| Louisiana Tech University | 24 | 1 |
| City | Filings | Median pay | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 342 | $71,360 | $57,473 to $109,750 |
| Baton Rouge | 290 | $93,458 | $70,000 to $124,526 |
| Lafayette | 159 | $86,216 | $76,357 to $123,298 |
| Shreveport | 120 | $166,000 | $87,706 to $276,850 |
| Monroe | 75 | $109,949 | $85,530 to $318,420 |
| Metairie | 52 | $68,432 | $65,281 to $78,344 |
| Alexandria | 40 | $300,000 | $204,150 to $439,200 |
| Ruston | 30 | $90,000 | $70,000 to $98,625 |
| Pineville | 24 | $90,026 | $78,975 to $114,963 |
| Lake Charles | 24 | $93,258 | $57,325 to $126,000 |
Yearly pay that employers offered in certified work-visa filings (H-1B, E-3 and PERM green card), from official public data. Pay is the lower end of the offered pay range, for full-time positions only. These are offered pay figures for positions in work-visa filings, not the pay of all employees. A filing is an offer for a position, not a hire, and one person can appear in several filings. Fiscal years run from October to September. Groups with fewer than 3 filings show counts only. Employers are ranked by filings in the cities of Louisiana added up.
Declared disasters and flood insurance claims: what happened, from official public data.
Louisiana has had 111 declared disasters and emergencies since 1953, 67 of them since 2000, most often Hurricane. Flood insurance has paid $21.0 billion on 485,743 claims since 1978; the biggest year was 2005 ($13.8 billion).
Declared disasters
67
37 major disasters. Most often Hurricane (38 since 1953).
Since 2000, all types; 111 since 1953
Flood claims paid
$4.3B
71,293 claims. Biggest year 2005 ($13.8B).
2016 to 2025, flood insurance
Policies in force
416,206
Average premium $946 a year.
2025, flood insurance policies
Most-declared county
43
Lafourche Parish, latest Jun 30, 2026.
Declarations since 2000
Declarations for Louisiana, 1953 to today
Claims paid in Louisiana by the year of the flood, US dollars
Declarations since 1953
Declarations naming the county since 2000; statewide ones not counted
All years since 1978; policies are a yearly average. Top 15 of 64.
| # | County | Claims | Paid | Policies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orleans Parish | 127,255 | $7.3B | 81,483 |
| 2 | Jefferson Parish | 135,664 | $3.6B | 108,091 |
| 3 | St. Bernard Parish | 23,919 | $2.2B | 11,106 |
| 4 | St. Tammany Parish | 38,420 | $1.8B | 47,922 |
| 5 | East Baton Rouge Parish | 22,575 | $1.3B | 37,281 |
| 6 | Livingston Parish | 14,639 | $835.2M | 15,626 |
| 7 | St. John the Baptist Parish | 8,979 | $655.3M | 6,689 |
| 8 | Plaquemines Parish | 6,086 | $381.8M | 5,376 |
| 9 | Ascension Parish | 6,783 | $353.6M | 13,338 |
| 10 | Terrebonne Parish | 13,501 | $326.6M | 16,101 |
| 11 | Calcasieu Parish | 10,386 | $324.0M | 15,238 |
| 12 | Lafayette Parish | 6,579 | $266.7M | 18,941 |
| 13 | Cameron Parish | 3,470 | $210.0M | 1,455 |
| 14 | Vermilion Parish | 4,799 | $187.1M | 6,101 |
| 15 | Tangipahoa Parish | 4,296 | $177.6M | 7,998 |
A declaration opens federal help after a disaster; it can name counties or the whole state. Flood insurance numbers count insured losses only (most homes have no flood insurance) and are not adjusted for inflation; the current year is data so far. For the flood-zone risk of a place, open the area on the real estate map.
Environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports of facilities in Louisiana, from official public data.
Official public data lists 18,669 facilities in Louisiana with records since 2010, 18,318 of them with environmental compliance records. In 2022 to 2026, the largest penalties were at Firestone Polymers LLC - Lake Charles Facility in Sulphur ($3,350,000). 566 large facilities reported 146.0 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, down 2.2% from 2022.
Facilities with records
18,669
18,318 with environmental records.
Since 2010
Largest penalties
$3.35M
Firestone Polymers LLC - Lake Charles Facility, Sulphur.
One facility, 2022 to 2026
Greenhouse gases
146.0M t
-2.2%vs 2022
566 reporting facilities.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
Largest emitter
9.48M t
CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC - Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex, Donaldsonville.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
| Facility | Penalties | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| Firestone Polymers LLC - Lake Charles Facility Sulphur | $3,350,000 | 0 |
| Boise Packaging & Newsprint Paper Mill Deridder | $2,500,000 | 1 |
| Morehouse Bioenergy LLC Bastrop | $1,600,000 | 0 |
| Lasalle Bioenergy LLC Urania | $1,599,551 | 2 |
| Lake Charles Chemical Complex Westlake | $1,549,462 | 0 |
| Norco Manufacturing Complex & Associated Facilities Norco | $1,329,225 | 4 |
| The Dow Chemical CO - Louisiana Operations Plaquemine | $1,138,150 | 13 |
| Paradis Gas Processing Plant Paradis | $877,875 | 0 |
| Discovery Producer Services LLC - Larose Gas Processing Plant Larose | $877,575 | 1 |
| Westlake Polymers LLC Sulphur | $835,000 | 0 |
| Facility | Metric tons CO2e |
|---|---|
| CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC - Donaldsonville Nitrogen Complex Donaldsonville | 9,475,266 |
| Sabine Pass LNG LP - Sabine Pass LNG Import Terminal Johnsons Bayou | 6,261,721 |
| Exxonmobil Baton Rouge Refinery Baton Rouge | 5,914,862 |
| Citgo Petroleum Corp - Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex Westlake | 4,476,976 |
| Marathon Petroleum CO LP - Louisiana Refining Division - Garyville Refinery Garyville | 4,207,065 |
| Norco Manufacturing Complex & Associated Facilities Norco | 4,143,881 |
| Cleco Power LLC - Brame Energy Center Lena | 3,988,173 |
| Ninemile 6 Plant Westwego | 3,712,171 |
| Valero St. Charles Refinery and Terminal Norco | 2,848,808 |
| Venture Global LNG Cameron | 2,837,472 |
Large facilities in Louisiana, metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Hover a year for the number.
Their facilities in Louisiana, 2022 to 2026. Click a company for its Risk & Compliance tab.
| Company | Facilities | Penalties | CO2e (t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging Corporation of America PKG | 2 | $2.50M | 260K |
| Westlake Corporation WLK | 7 | $1.82M | 5.45M |
| Shell plc SHEL | 13 | $1.55M | 6.29M |
| Dow Inc. DOW | 6 | $1.50M | 7.72M |
| ArcBest Corporation ARCB | 2 | $1.07M | - |
| The Williams Companies, Inc. WMB | 14 | $878K | 1.59M |
| Occidental Petroleum Corporation OXY | 14 | $540K | 3.30M |
| International Paper Company IP | 12 | $500K | 953K |
Official public data on environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports, summarized by facility and year since 2010. A record does not mean a site is unsafe today; penalties and violations vary a lot by industry and size. Penalties are the amounts assessed (after settlements), not amounts paid. Recent years can still change.
Cost, students and graduate earnings of the colleges in the state, from official public data.
The newest unemployment rate, pay, new home permits, moves and gas price for Louisiana, updated as new official numbers come out.
Unemployment for Louisiana is seasonally adjusted; for its counties, metro areas and cities it is not, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier. Pay covers all jobs that pay into unemployment insurance. Building permits count homes approved to be built, not homes sold. Moves count households by where they filed their tax returns in two years in a row. Daily gas prices are average pump prices for Louisiana, its counties and metro areas on the day shown. The weekly gas prices in the explorer come from a separate weekly survey that publishes a price for only some states, so a state without one shows the price of its region there; the two series are never combined.
The unemployment rate in Louisiana was 4.2% in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary), compared with 4.2% a year earlier. 2,019,252 people were employed out of a labor force of 2,107,450. Among its counties, West Feliciana Parish had the lowest rate (2.6%) and East Carroll Parish the highest (10.0%, not seasonally adjusted).
Average weekly pay in Louisiana was $1,274 in Q1 2026, up 4.0% from a year earlier, across 1,917,226 jobs at 159,569 business locations.
Building permits were issued for 1,153 new homes in Louisiana in August 2026 (1,005 single-family and 95 in buildings with 5 or more units). From January to August the total was 9,491, down 4.4% from the same months last year, and 14,034 in the last 12 months. The most homes were permitted in East Baton Rouge Parish (2,427), Lafayette Parish (1,495), Tangipahoa Parish (1,217) over the last 12 months.
No, more people moved out than in. From 2022 to 2023, 67,124 people moved to Louisiana and 84,532 moved away, a net loss of 17,408 (-5.3 per 1,000 residents). Most newcomers came from Texas, Mississippi, Florida, and most people who left went to Texas, Mississippi, Florida.
Regular gasoline in Louisiana averaged $3.94 per gallon on October 10, 2026, up $1.24 from a year earlier. Diesel averaged $5.82. Among its counties, Concordia Parish had the lowest regular price ($3.74) and Tensas Parish the highest ($4.60).
Health Care and Social Assistance (305,645 employees), Retail Trade (221,758 employees), Accommodation and Food Services (205,093 employees) were the largest sectors in Louisiana in 2023. In all, 108,561 business locations employed 1,697,330 people at an average pay of $56,936 a year.
$87,027 a year was the median pay offered in 1,465 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Louisiana in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), unchanged from 2024. The middle half of the offers ranged from $66,625 to $132,396. The US median was $120,000. These are offered pay figures in work-visa filings, not the pay of all workers.
Ochsner Clinic Foundation (130), Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund (127), CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc. (69), Louisiana State University and A&M College (61), LSU Health Sciences Center - Shreveport (59) had the most certified H-1B filings for jobs in Louisiana in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025).
Software Developers (182 filings, median $103,408), Physicians, All Other (119 filings, median $316,680), Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary (111 filings, median $166,000) were the largest job groups in certified H-1B filings in Louisiana in fiscal year 2025.
$166,000 was the median offered pay in Shreveport, the highest among the Louisiana cities with the most H-1B filings in fiscal year 2025 (120 filings).
$48,235 a year was the median pay offered in 514 certified PERM green card filings for jobs in Louisiana in fiscal year 2025.
111 disasters and emergencies have been declared for Louisiana since 1953, 67 of them since 2000 (37 major disasters). The most common type is Hurricane (38 declarations).
Lafourche Parish, with 43 declarations since 2000, followed by St. Charles Parish (42) and Terrebonne Parish (42). Statewide declarations are not counted for single counties.
$21.0 billion on 485,743 flood insurance claims since 1978. The biggest year was 2005, with $13.8 billion paid on 189,275 claims. Orleans Parish received the most ($7.3 billion).
$946 a year in 2025, across 416,206 flood insurance policies in Louisiana. Most homes have no flood insurance; the premium depends on the home's flood risk and coverage.