Jobless rate improving in local areaL’Observateur / December 9, 1998LAPLACE – Seasonally adjusted unemployment in the River Parishes continued to improve during September 1998, according to the latest figures from the Louisiana Department of Labor.

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 9, 1998

Louisiana Secretary of Labor Garey Forster commented: “To me, Thanksgiving week is the perfect time to learn that there are 21,000 more nonagricultural jobs in Louisiana providing a livelihood for Louisiana citizens than there were at this same time last year.”In St. James Parish, the jobless rate improved from 9.3 percent to 8.7percent, reflecting 8,400 persons employed and 800 persons unemployed, comparing July 1998 to August. That 8.7 rate is still higher, though, thanthe September 1997 rate of 6.4 percent.In St. Charles Parish, the jobless rate dropped from 5.1 percent to 4.4percent, which is still slightly more than the 4.3 rate reported forSeptember 1997. Employed totals climbed from 21,400 to 21,700 persons,while unemployed totals dropped from 1,200 to 1,000 persons.