Record Setting Wages
Wages paid to Louisiana workers, size of workforce set records in 2014
The number of people in Louisiana’s workforce and total wages paid by employers set records in 2014, according to data compiled by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
The annual report on industries covered by unemployment laws showed total paid wages rose 4.7 percent to more than $87.2 billion. Louisiana’s workforce grew by 1.7 percent to a total of more than 1.9 million people. It was the second consecutive record-setting year for both total wages and workforce size.
“This second year of record wages and workforce growth is a positive indicator that job development and business attraction efforts are paying off for Louisiana,” said LWC Executive Director Curt Eysink. “By continuing to align post-secondary education priorities with high-demand occupations in Louisiana, we can better ensure that those entering our state’s workforce can find rewarding careers that build prosperity and quality of life,” he said.
The report includes employment and total wages by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sectors and sub-sectors for the state and by NAICS sectors for all 64 parishes. The information is derived from quarterly tax reports submitted by all employers subject to the Louisiana Employment Security Law and from supplemental reports that provide parish-specific data submitted by employers with multiple locations.
Highlights of the 2014 report include:
• Average covered employment totaled 1,923,670, up 1.7 percent from the 2013 total of 1,891,988.
• Average employment rose in 40 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes from the previous year.
• Cameron Parish reported the highest average weekly wage for all industries at $1,336, followed by St. Charles Parish at $1,239.
• Total wages paid rose to $87,211,879, 063, a 4.7 percent increase from the revised figure of $83,257,792,048 paid in 2013.
• The 2014 average weekly wage for all industries was $872, up from an average of $846 in 2013.
• The average number of reporting units increased by 1,157 to 124,336 in 2014. Employers that operate multiple locations – for example, grocery store chains -- report on each location. Each location is defined as a separate unit.
Employers evaluating potential plant sites can use the report to compare employment and quarterly wages paid by industry in all 64 parishes. The report also is useful to market researchers for consumer analysis and is used by public and private organizations in the administration and evaluation of manpower programs and policies.
