Data Desk · Louisiana

Louisiana unemployment falls to 4.0%, its lowest since October 2023

By The Liberty Tribune Data Desk · October 26, 2026

Louisiana's unemployment rate fell to 4.0% in September 2026, down from 4.2% in August, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That is the lowest rate the state has recorded since October 2023, when it was 3.9%.

Louisiana now ranks 28th of 51 for the lowest rate among the 50 states and D.C., up from 31st in August.

The national rate was 4.2%, so Louisiana sits 0.2 percentage points below the U.S. figure.

A year earlier, in September 2025, the state's rate was 4.2%.

Elsewhere in the West South Central division: Arkansas 3.9%, Oklahoma 4.2%, Texas 4.4%.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, series LASST220000000000003 (seasonally adjusted), and LNS14000000 for the national rate. Rank 1 is the lowest rate; tied states share a rank. Computed by The Liberty Tribune from the published series.

Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 26, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.

Free to cite or republish with attribution and a link. The chart is ours and may be reused on the same terms.

More from September 2026

• Paychecks trailed prices in 38 of 50 states over the past year
• Wisconsin paychecks fell 4.1% behind prices over the past year, the widest gap of any state
• Minnesota paychecks fell 4.1% behind prices over the past year, the second-widest gap of any state
• North Dakota paychecks fell 4.0% behind prices over the past year, the third-widest gap of any state
• Hawaii paychecks beat prices by 5.5% over the past year, the most of any state
• New Mexico paychecks beat prices by 2.9% over the past year, the second-most of any state
• Texas paychecks beat prices by 2.3% over the past year, the third-most of any state
• Government payrolls shrank in 33 of 50 states over the past year