As spring arrives, outdoor business endeavors should increase causing the unemployment rate to continue to drop over the next couple of months. |
If historical trends holds true, January will likely show higher rates across much of the state as winter weather slows work in agriculture and construction jobs. |
The January rate was considerably higher than the 7.8 percent jobless rate recorded one year ago, confirming that damage from Hurricane Katrina continues to wreak havoc with the state's economy. |
This should cause the employment rate to increase and the unemployment rate to decrease for the month of April. |