Leah Long NFIB State Director | Official Website
Leah Long NFIB State Director | Official Website
Louisiana's unemployment rate fell to 3.9% in July, a slight decrease from the previous month. While this indicates a robust state economy, it also highlights challenges for small businesses, according to NFIB State Director Leah Long.
"There simply aren’t enough qualified applicants to fill all of the positions that are available," Long stated.
Though specific data for Louisiana is not available, the latest NFIB Optimism Index shows that 38% of small business owners struggle to fill positions, and 49% report few or no qualified job applicants.
A contributing factor may be Louisiana's low workforce participation rate. In July, it was 58.6%, below the national average of 62.7%. Among neighboring states, only Arkansas had a lower rate at 57.9%, while Missouri and Texas had rates of 63.8% and 64.4%, respectively.
"We look forward to working with legislators in 2025 on solutions to encourage and help prepare people to enter the workforce and fill the positions that are available," Long added.
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