U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

August 2006

The labor market impact of Hurricane Katrina: an overview

This overview provides a look at Hurricane Katrina's impact on the labor markets of Louisiana and Mississippi and, to some extent, Alabama and Florida. An estimated 17 percent of Louisiana's employment and 5 percent of Mississippi's employment were within the FEMA-designated damage zones. The two States experienced a sharp rise in mass layoff events and unemployment rates after Hurricane Katrina. In June 2006, Mississippi's employment level had returned to its pre-Katrina level, while Louisiana's level had not. Evacuees again living in their pre-Katrina homes in June 2006 had a lower unemployment rate than those who were not.

Download PDF »