Louisiana Q4, 2019 Employment Statistics- 136,400 employers, up 2.0% from 133,791
- 1,932,707 employees, down 0.5% from 1,923,212
- $993 average weekly wage, up 2.5% from $969
- The average weekly wage is 16.2% below the national average
- The cost of living is 6.1% below the national average
Employer & Employee Growth
In the last year, the number of employers in the state increased by 2,609, which is an increase of 2.0%. The number of employees in Louisiana declined by 9,495, a decline of 0.5%. During this same period, the average weekly wage increased by $24, an increase of 2.5%.
The number of private employers increased since last years' Q1. The number of private businesses increased by 2,512 or 2.0%. Growth in private businesses in Louisiana grew slower than the national average of 2.5%. The number of employees in these businesses decreased since last years' Q1, declining by 10,873 or 0.7%. The growth in employees of private businesses in Louisiana was slower than the national average of 1.2%.
The average weekly wage of employees of private businesses increased since last years' Q1. The averge weekly wage increased by $25 or 2.5%. Growth in average weekly wage of employees of private businesses in Louisiana grew slower than the national average of 3.8%.
Leading Sectors
Businesses by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of businesses in the state is Retail trade with 13.1% of the businesses in the state. The number of businesses in this sector increased by 1.1%. Professional services (12.4%), which increased by 3.7% and Healthcare (10.9%), which increased by 3.9%, round out the 3 largest sectors.
Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Business Change %
Sector | Change Biz | % Change |
---|---|---|
Arts and entertainment | 103 | 5.6% |
Information | 80 | 4.6% |
Educational services | 66 | 4.5% |
Healthcare | 563 | 3.9% |
Professional services | 613 | 3.7% |
Accommodation and food services | 380 | 3.5% |
Company management | 26 | 2.1% |
Construction | 193 | 1.8% |
Utilities | 8 | 1.6% |
Transport and warehousing | 71 | 1.6% |
Waste services | 101 | 1.4% |
Mining and oil extraction | 22 | 1.3% |
Real estate and rental | 70 | 1.3% |
Retail trade | 189 | 1.1% |
Manufacturing | 19 | 0.4% |
Other services | 38 | 0.4% |
Wholesale trade | 6 | 0.1% |
Finance and insurance | -14 | -0.2% |
Agriculture and forestry | -14 | -0.9% |
Employees by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of employees in the state is Healthcare with 14.2% of the employees in the state, had an increase in employees of 1.4% in the last year. Retail trade (11.7%), decreased by 1.7% and Accommodation and food services (10.7%), decreased by 0.2%, round out the top 3 sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Employee Change %
Sector | Employee Change | % Change |
---|---|---|
Educational services | 913 | 2.8% |
Transport and warehousing | 1,893 | 2.6% |
Real estate and rental | 713 | 2.3% |
Healthcare | 3,734 | 1.4% |
Professional services | 897 | 1.0% |
Manufacturing | 998 | 0.7% |
Arts and entertainment | 108 | 0.4% |
Waste services | 240 | 0.2% |
Other services | 12 | 0.0% |
Accommodation and food services | -499 | -0.2% |
Mining and oil extraction | -245 | -0.7% |
Wholesale trade | -510 | -0.7% |
Company management | -172 | -0.7% |
Utilities | -77 | -0.9% |
Finance and insurance | -706 | -1.3% |
Information | -368 | -1.7% |
Retail trade | -3,976 | -1.7% |
Agriculture and forestry | -201 | -2.1% |
Construction | -13,617 | -8.9% |
Average Weekly Wage by Sector
The sector that pays their employees the highest is Mining and oil extraction paying $1,911per week compared with the state average of $1,006. Weekly wages in this sector rose by $67 or 3.6%. Utilities ($1,613), rose by $13 or 0.8% and Professional services ($1,613) increased by $40 or 2.5% round out the 3 largest sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Weekly Wage Change %
Sector | Wage Change | Change % |
---|---|---|
Arts and entertainment | $87 | 10.3% |
Educational services | $55 | 6.6% |
Healthcare | $39 | 4.4% |
Mining and oil extraction | $67 | 3.6% |
Waste services | $27 | 3.5% |
Other services | $26 | 3.4% |
Transport and warehousing | $35 | 3.1% |
Finance and insurance | $42 | 3.0% |
Retail trade | $14 | 2.5% |
Professional services | $40 | 2.5% |
Manufacturing | $35 | 2.4% |
Construction | $29 | 2.2% |
Wholesale trade | $28 | 2.1% |
Information | $19 | 1.7% |
Accommodation and food services | $5 | 1.3% |
Real estate and rental | $10 | 1.0% |
Utilities | $13 | 0.8% |
Agriculture and forestry | $-7 | -0.7% |
Company management | $-92 | -5.6% |
Leading Industries
Businesses by Industry
Each broad sector is made up of specific industries. In Louisiana. the industry with the most businesses is Restaurants and other eating places with 6.2% of the businesses in the state (with 8,437 employing 155,191 workers). The Restaurants and other eating places industry had 263 more businesses, an increase of 3.2% in the last year. Offices of physicians (2.7% of businesses) added 84 businesses, an increase of 2.3% and Offices of lawyers (2.7% of businesses) added 14 businesses, an increase of 0.4% round out the 3 industries with the most businesses.Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change %
Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Hay farming | 2 | 200.0% |
Trusts estates and agency accounts | 27 | 71.1% |
Coffee and tea manufacturing | 9 | 56.2% |
Other performing arts companies | 5 | 55.6% |
Photofinishing | 2 | 50.0% |
Other specialized design services | 13 | 46.4% |
Amusement and theme parks | 3 | 42.9% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change #
Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Restaurants and other eating places | 263 | 3.2% |
Services for the elderly and disabled | 214 | 12.4% |
Computer systems design and related services | 171 | 8.4% |
All other professional and technical services | 122 | 15.9% |
Gasoline stations with convenience stores | 94 | 3.7% |
Offices of physicians | 84 | 2.3% |
All other specialty trade contractors | 68 | 8.9% |
Employees by Industry
Offices of physicians (2.7% of employees) added 84 employees, an increase of 2.3% and Offices of lawyers (2.7% ofemployees) added 14 employees, an increase of 0.4% round out the 3 industries with the most employees.Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change %
Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Trusts estates and agency accounts | 106 | 129.5% |
Other performing arts companies | 29 | 113.5% |
Amusement and theme parks | 117 | 99.2% |
Metal can box and other container mfg. | 43 | 93.4% |
Political organizations | 30 | 79.0% |
All other wood product manufacturing | 264 | 78.7% |
Port and harbor operations | 511 | 77.3% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change #
Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
General medical and surgical hospitals | 1,529 | 2.4% |
Petrochemical manufacturing | 1,434 | 34.2% |
Other outpatient care centers | 818 | 12.2% |
Other machinery rental and leasing | 670 | 22.7% |
Elementary and secondary schools | 665 | 4.7% |
Navigational services to shipping | 597 | 11.2% |
Office administrative services | 596 | 6.4% |
Average Weekly Wage by Industry
The industry that pays their employees the most is Other financial vehicles, paying $10,900 compared with the state average of $1,006. Employees in the Other financial vehicles industry were paid $810 more per week, an increase of 8.0% in the last year. Spectator sports ($6,689) and Health and welfare funds ($6,590) round out the top 3 industries. Employees in the Spectator sports ($6,689 per week) were paid $2,103 more per week, an increase of 45.9% and Health and welfare funds ($6,590 per week) were paid $1,515 more per week, an increase of 29.9% round out the 3 industries that pay their employees the most.Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change %
Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Other petroleum and coal products mfg. | $2,985 | 219.8% |
All other schools and instruction | $236 | 61.5% |
Industrial design services | $580 | 55.3% |
Building inspection services | $542 | 50.0% |
Political organizations | $309 | 48.7% |
Spectator sports | $2,103 | 45.9% |
Other nondurable goods merchant wholesalers | $413 | 45.6% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change $
Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
---|---|---|
Other petroleum and coal products mfg. | $2,985 | 219.8% |
Spectator sports | $2,103 | 45.9% |
Health and welfare funds | $1,515 | 29.9% |
Independent artists writers and performers | $1,180 | 23.4% |
Other financial vehicles | $810 | 8.0% |
Book publishers | $766 | 43.5% |
Other electrical equipment and component mfg. | $638 | 34.0% |
Company Size
Louisiana Businesses by Size
The solopreneur company, has the most businesses in Louisiana by far. 58.1% of all businesses in the state have fewer than 5 employees. The 123,149 small businesses in the state represent 95.5% of all private businesses. The national average is 91.2%. (Small businesses have fewer than 50 employees, Solopreneurs employ fewer than 5.) Louisiana added 3,994 businesses in the last year, an increase of 3.2% as compared to the national average of 3.0%.Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 3,971 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 3.3% as compared to the national average of 3.1%.
Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. These mid-sized businesses added 29 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 0.5% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. These large businesses declined 6 businesses in the last year, which is a decrease of 3.2% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Louisiana Employees by Business Size
Louisiana added 27,753 employees in the last year, an increase of 1.8% as compared to the national average of 5.2%. Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 16,840 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 15.8% as compared to the national average of 4.2%.Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. Mid-sized businesses added 18,135 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 3.0% as compared to the national average of 4.7%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. Large businesses lost 7,222 employees in the last year, which is a decrease of 3.4% as compared to the national average of 9.2%.
Louisiana Avg Weekly Wages by Business Size
Louisiana workers in every size business are paid less than the national average. The smallest companies in Louisiana (those with fewer than 5 employees) pay workers 8.4% less than the national average ($927 per week as compared to the national average of $1,005 per week). The largest companies in Louisiana (those with more than 1,000 employees) pay 47.5% workers below the national average ($1,297 per week as compared to the national average of $1,913 per week).Average weekly wages in small businesses added $86 per week in the last year, which is an increase of 2.7% as compared to the national average of 3.1%. Employees of mid-sized businesses added $88 in wages per week in the last year, which is an increase of 2.9% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Employees of large businesses lost $118 of weekly wages in the last year, which is a decrease of 4.2% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Top Industries for Business and Employment
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by number of businesses:Table: Top 10 Industries by # of Businesses
Industry | # Businesses | % Change |
---|---|---|
Restaurants and other eating places | 8,437 | 3.2% |
Offices of physicians | 3,748 | 2.3% |
Offices of lawyers | 3,622 | 0.4% |
Gasoline stations with convenience stores | 2,615 | 3.7% |
Insurance agencies and brokerages | 2,610 | -1.5% |
Accounting and bookkeeping services | 2,269 | 1.3% |
Computer systems design and related services | 2,209 | 8.4% |
Private households | 2,056 | -3.8% |
Services for the elderly and disabled | 1,937 | 12.4% |
Residential building construction | 1,793 | 1.1% |
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by number of employees:
Table: Top 10 Industries by # of Employees
Industry | # Employees | % Change |
---|---|---|
Restaurants and other eating places | 155,191 | 0.1% |
General medical and surgical hospitals | 65,153 | 2.4% |
General merchandise stores including warehouse clubs and supercenters | 43,365 | -2.1% |
Offices of physicians | 41,643 | 0.4% |
Supermarkets and other grocery stores | 32,172 | -0.1% |
Nursing care facilities skilled nursing | 27,040 | 1.3% |
Support activities for mining | 26,829 | -1.5% |
Temporary help services | 26,435 | -2.0% |
Services for the elderly and disabled | 25,366 | 1.6% |
Management of companies and enterprises | 22,420 | -0.7% |
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by highest wages:
Table: Top 10 Industries by Weekly Wage
Industry | Wkly Wages | % Change |
---|---|---|
Other financial vehicles | $10,900 | 8.0% |
Spectator sports | $6,689 | 45.9% |
Health and welfare funds | $6,590 | 29.9% |
Independent artists writers and performers | $6,227 | 23.4% |
Investment banking and securities dealing | $5,098 | 10.5% |
Other petroleum and coal products mfg. | $4,343 | 219.8% |
Securities brokerage | $3,361 | 1.7% |
Crude petroleum extraction | $2,904 | 2.1% |
Fishing | $2,799 | -6.3% |
Petroleum refineries | $2,620 | 4.3% |
Data Sources
About the Writer
This page was created and is maintained by Kurt Tietjen, Founder of Stavera, High Peak Media & HomeGearWorks.com. Kurt is an executive, data scientist and software engineer who holds an MBA in Management Information Systems. In 2010, he partnered with scientists at Northwestern University to launch The Street Wire. This was one of the first mainstream uses of what would become “Narrative Science”, an artificial intelligence platform specializing in natural language generation. You can contact Kurt on LinkedIn here.