By VICKIE JAMBON

Staff Reporter

BATON ROUGE – The November 2004 preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for St. John the Baptist Parish at 7.4 percent is slightly down from 7.6 percent a year ago.

Employment increased from 18,300 in November 2003 to 18,400 in November 2004, for an increase of 100 jobs over the year.

The unemployment rate for St. Charles Parish showed a slightly larger decrease. In November 2004, the parish’s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent, compared to 5.7 percent in November 2003. Employment rose in the parish from 21,300 to 21,500, for a yearly increase of 200.

St. James Parish unemployment showed the greatest drop. In November 2003, the parish’s rate of unemployment was 10.9 percent. That number dropped 1.1 percent over the last year, leaving the November 2004 rate at 9.8 percent. Employment rose from 8,000 to 8,100, for an increase of 100.

Preliminary seasonally adjusted statewide total non-farm employment for November 2004 was 1,906,700 compared to 1,905,000 for the revised October 2004 figure, for an increase of 1,700 jobs over the month.

Louisiana’s number of unemployed for November was 118,200, up from 115,900 in October.

The national unemployment rate for November was 5.4 percent, down from the revised 5.5 percent for October 2004.

“This economic indicator of jobs by place of work reflected growth across the state, said Secretary of Labor John Warner Smith.