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.
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.
Parish Employment and Wages in Louisiana — First Quarter 2025
Employment rose in 5 of the 7 largest parishes in Louisiana from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Caddo Parish had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 2.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest parishes in Louisiana, March 2025
Parish
Percent change, March 2025
Caddo
2.1
Lafayette
1.6
Jefferson
1.0
Calcasieu
0.4
St. Tammany
0.3
Orleans
0.0
East Baton Rouge
-0.4
Among the seven largest parishes in Louisiana, employment was highest in East Baton Rouge (270,100) in March 2025. Together, the seven largest parishes accounted for 56.0 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)
Large parish average weekly wages in the first quarter 2025
All six large Louisiana counties with published data reported average weekly wage increases over the year (See chart 2.) East Baton Rouge had the largest gain (+3.4 percent). Among Louisiana’s other five large parishes with published data, over-the-year wage gains ranged from 3.2 percent to 2.2 percent.
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2025
Parish
Percent change, first quarter 2025
East Baton Rouge
3.4
Orleans
3.2
Lafayette
2.9
Caddo
2.4
Calcasieu
2.3
Jefferson
2.2
Weekly wages in all seven large parishes in Louisiana were below the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,399 in Orleans to $1,131 in Caddo.
Smaller parish average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2025
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 57 small parishes in Louisiana, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 52 of the 57 smaller parishes were below the national average. Cameron reported the highest average weekly wage ($3,148). Madison reported the lowest average weekly wage ($726) in the state.
Among all 64 Louisiana parishes, 17 reported average weekly wages of $899 or lower, 20 registered wages from $900 to $1,049, 10 had wages from $1,050 to $1,199, and 17 had average weekly wages of $1,200 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)
Map 1. Average weekly wages by parish in Louisiana, first quarter 2025
(U.S. average = $1,589)
Additional statistics and other information
QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.
Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.
The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
County Changes for the 2025 County Employment and Wages News Releases
Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2024 are included in this release and will be included in future 2025 releases. Four counties have been added to the nationwide publication tables: Pinal, AZ; Henry, GA; Wood, OH; and Comal, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Gregg, TX.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the seven largest parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2025
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (5) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all parishes in Louisiana, first quarter 2025
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2025
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
United States Department of Labor
