Iberville's jobless rate hit double digits this summer

Iberville's unemployment rate went into double digits according to revised figures for June and climbed even higher in July, surpassing the national rate, the Louisiana Workforce Commission showed in its latest report.

The jobless rate here in July was 11.3 percent, up from 6.9 percent in July 2008 and from 10.6 percent in June.

All those rates were substantially higher than those for the state and the nation. Louisiana's unemployment rate has climbed form 4.8 percent in July 2008 to 7.7 percent in June and 7.8 in July, while the nation's has risen from 6 percent in July 2008 to 9.7 percent in both June and July. Louisiana, along with Arkansas and Kansas, had the 15th lowest unemployment in the nation in July.

Iberville was one of 21 of the 64 Louisiana parishes with unemployment rates in double digits. West Carroll has the highest rates of all the parishes, at 18.4 percent, while Lafourche registered the lowest at 4.7 percent.

The local rate continued to be the second highest in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. St. Helena had the highest numbers at 12.8 percent. Ascension and East Baton Rouge had the lowest rates with 6.7 and 7.0 percent unemployed, respectively. The rate was 7.9 percent for both West Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee parishes.

All told, Iberville Parish had 11,469 workers in jobs, and 1,466 unemployed in July. That is compared to 11,845 employed and 1,361 unemployed in June, and 11,847 employed and 875 unemployed in July 2008.