Which metro areas in Louisiana are adding jobs fastest?
Monroe, LA (+13.1%), Lake Charles, LA (+4.8%) and Baton Rouge, LA (+2.5%) added private-sector jobs fastest among Louisiana metro areas between 2018 and 2023.
Data as of 2023 · updated
All 8 ranked Louisiana metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Change 2018–23 | Jobs added | Private jobs 2023 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monroe, LA | +13.1% | +8,655 | 74,718 | 222,390 |
| 2 | Lake Charles, LA | +4.8% | +3,823 | 84,232 | 244,655 |
| 3 | Baton Rouge, LA | +2.5% | +8,582 | 351,260 | 888,699 |
| 4 | Alexandria, LA | +2.3% | +1,095 | 48,465 | 147,952 |
| 5 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | −0.4% | −275 | 70,193 | 199,668 |
| 6 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | −7.5% | −11,256 | 138,991 | 383,474 |
| 7 | Lafayette, LA | −9.2% | −16,620 | 164,940 | 423,758 |
| 8 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | −16.2% | −79,730 | 413,445 | 970,849 |
How this is ranked
The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
Get the report for any Louisiana county — $99
The County Growth and Demographics Report for any county as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.
Every purchase also includes a CSV of every table in the report, ready for a spreadsheet.
- Not useful? Email us within 14 days for a full refund
- Sold by Simply Stats LLC (NC)
- Secure Stripe checkout (Apple Pay/Google Pay)
- Instant PDF download
- PDF + CSV of every table
Refund terms: Terms. · How we compute every number
Questions
Which metro area in Louisiana has the fastest job growth?
Monroe, LA: +13.1%, ahead of Lake Charles, LA (+4.8%) and Baton Rouge, LA (+2.5%), of 8 Louisiana metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.