Louisiana payrolls jump in May as unemployment rate falls

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Payroll employment rose sharply in Louisiana in May, posting the best one-month gain in years.

A separate survey showed the state’s jobless rate fell to 5.7 percent from 5.8 percent in April, as people left the labor force. The unemployment rate was below May 2016’s level of 6.2 percent.

A total of 121,000 Louisianans were jobless, down 2,000 from April.

Payrolls rose by more than 10,000 to 1.98 million, and also rose above year-ago levels, signs of economic expansion in what is many economists’ top labor market indicator.

Louisiana’s jobless rate is third-highest among states, with Alaska worst at 6.7 percent.

The nationwide rate fell to 4.3 percent in May from April’s 4.4 percent.

The U.S. Labor Department released figures Friday, adjusted to cancel out seasonal changes.