Employment decreased in 2 of the 5 largest parishes with published data in Louisiana from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Jerome Watters noted that Calcasieu Parish had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment, with a loss of 1.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest parishes in Louisiana, September 2025

County	Percent change, September 2025
Calcasieu	-1.1
Orleans	-0.8
St. Tammany	0.2
Jefferson	0.7
Lafayette	1.0

Among the seven largest parishes in Louisiana, employment was highest in East Baton Rouge (269,800) in September 2025. Together, the seven largest parishes accounted for 56.0 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties and county equivalents (including parishes) comprise 73.2 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.)

All four large Louisiana parishes with published data reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Orleans had the largest increase (+8.7 percent). Over-the-year wage changes for Louisiana's other large parishes ranged from 3.9 percent to 1.9 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest parishes in Louisiana, third quarter 2025

County	Percent change, third quarter 2025
Orleans	8.7
Jefferson	3.9
Lafayette	3.2
Calcasieu	1.9

Weekly wages in all seven large parishes in Louisiana were below the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,393 in Orleans to $1,137 in Lafayette.

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 ($2,150) in the state. East Carroll reported the lowest average weekly wage ($745) in the state.

Among all 64 Louisiana parishes, 14 reported average weekly wages of $874 or lower, 20 had wages from $875 to $999, 9 had wages from $1,000 to $1,124, 8 had wages from $1,125 to $1,249, and 13 had average weekly wages of $1,250 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)