Lafayette ranks lowest in the state in unemployment
According to the most recent unemployment numbers, Lafayette Parish has the lowest rate in the state at 4.8 percent.
Not only is Lafayette the lowest in the state, but also one of the lowest in the country compared to the national rate of eight point two percent.
It all means business is booming.
Lafayette's biggest gains came in healthcare, manufacturing and oil and gas. All non-farm jobs, signifying a big shift.
"We are actually getting highly educated, well trained people in Lafayette that are able to go into the jobs that are in demand in this labor market."
Tina Johnstone, with the Lafayette Business and Career Solutions Center, credits a growing emphasis on technical education and the university system.
"Lafayette is growing, Lafayette is booming, its changing, its doing better than so many other areas so we should be proud of that."
While some cities around the country are struggling to break free of the recession, Lafayette businesses like Apex Freight, a transportation logistics company, are thriving.
"We actually grew by double digits."
Owner Tracy Pellerin says typically, when the economy is bad, so is the transportation industry, but he's been untouched.
"We've been growing so rapidly, we're having to hire here locally and we've been hiring a lot of people."
Lafayette's rate is considerably lower than other parishes in Acadiana.
Here's the breakdown:
Acadia 6.1% (unchanged from Feb)
Evangeline 8.1% (up 0.1%)
Iberia 6.5% (down 0.1%)
St Landry 7.4% (unchanged)
St Martin 6.1% (down 0.1%)
Vermilion 6.4% (down 0.2%)
St Mary 9.0% (unchanged)
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