The vacancy rate decreased to 4.1 percent from 5.1 percent the previous year, according to the LWC’s annual Job Vacancy Survey. This means for every 100 jobs, approximately four were vacant.
The Job Vacancy Survey identifies the number and types of jobs available in specific industries and regions of the state. The survey results provide a unique snapshot of the conditions in a given region and/or occupational labor market. Some of the highlights include:
•The New Orleans region reported 29 percent of all job vacancies.
•Other Services industry sector had the largest vacancy rate of 9.6 percent statewide. This industry group consists of repair and maintenance, personal and laundry services, membership associations and organizations, and private households.
•The Trade, Transportation, and Utilities industry sector, which includes occupations such as retail salespersons and truck drivers, had the largest number of job vacancies at 17,819.
•Of the jobs reported vacant, 68 percent required a high school diploma or less.
•No job experience was required for 35 percent of the vacancies.
•Forty-six percent of the job vacancies statewide paid over $10.55 an hour. The median hourly wage of all openings increased $1 an hour from the 2007 Job Vacancy Survey results for a median average of $10 an hour for 2008.
•The Houma region had the highest vacancy rate with 6.2 percent. This was attributed to an increase in vacancies in the educational and health services industry sector. The Lake Charles region had the lowest vacancy rate with 2.8 percent, down from 5.3 percent in that region last year.
For more detailed information on Job Vacancy Survey results for second quarter 2008 for Louisiana and the eight Regional Labor Market Areas, visit the website at www.LAWORKS.net and select Labor Market Information from the left-side menu. Then select “Job Vacancy Survey” and click on second quarter 2008 to view the PDF files.
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