On this Labor Day, the percentage of unemployed workers is less than last year. Chief Economist for the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Dr. Ali Bustamante, anticipates the unemployment rate to continue to decline.

"We have an unemployment rate of 4.9%, this is .1 percent less than at this time last year," said Bustamante.

Bustamante says for those looking for work, the health care industry continues to look for qualified workers.

"We also see a lot of job openings when it comes to correctional institutions, temp agencies, increasingly in the oil and gas construction industry as well as home-health care services," said Bustamante.
Employers and job seekers can go to Laworks.net and click on the Hire tab, which is a website tool that connects businesses with those looking for a job.
Bustamante says for those working and looking to climb the income ladder, the state has a resource called the incumbent worker training program.
"During the past fiscal year, it trained over 24,000 employees, created nearly 1,600 jobs and increased wages by 7.8%.

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