December 2025

Released January 27, 2026

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 8, rose in 21, and remained unchanged in 22.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.2 percent in Hawaii and South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.4 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 23 states and fell in 27. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Delaware and Montana. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Kansas and Nebraska.

Louisiana

Employment snapshot

• In December, Louisiana added 6,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.2 percent. In the prior month, Louisiana added 2,700 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Louisiana added 22,900 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points from 4.6 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Louisiana is tied for 4th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, Louisiana’s private sector added 6,700 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 22,400 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Louisiana added 2,400 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in Louisiana rose by 7,128, and over the past 12 months it rose by 14,509.

• Louisiana’s labor force participation rate rose to 58.3 percent in December from 58.2 percent and ranks 44th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.1 percentage points.

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Louisiana

Payroll employment

• Louisiana added 6,200 net payroll jobs, or 0.3 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Louisiana added 2,700 jobs. Louisiana nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Louisiana is tied for 4th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Louisiana added 6,700 private sector jobs, or 0.4 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Louisiana added 2,400 jobs. Louisiana private sector payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 37,000 jobs in December, or 0 percent. Louisiana ranks 8th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From November 2025 to December 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (+1,900) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+1,800).
• The worst performing sectors were State and Local Government (-500) and Mining and Logging (-200).

From December 2024 to December 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+15,400) and Leisure and Hospitality (+7,800).
• The worst performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-8,100) and Federal Government (-2,100).

Louisiana

Labor force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Louisiana rose to 58.3 percent in December from 58.2 percent in the prior month.

• Louisiana ranks 44th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Louisiana was 59.6 percent occurring in December 2015, and the 10-year low was 55.2 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 62.4 percent in December.