Local jobless rate hits 12.7 percent

Iberville's unemployment rate rose more to percentage points from December to January to 12.7 percent, reflecting the loss of some 265 jobs, according to the report issued last week by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

At the same time, the statewide unemployment rate rose from 6.8 7.2 percent to 8.6 percent, and the rate in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area rose from 7.2 percent to 8.7 percent.

Iberville have the second worst jobless numbers in the Baton Rouge area. St. Helena Parish had the worst, at 15 percent, while Ascension had the lowest at 8.1 percent, up from 6.4 in December.

More than a third of the state's 64 parishes now have reached double digit unemployment, the highest rate again in West Carroll Parish, where the numbers jumped form 16 to 20.1 percent.

Lafourche Parish continued to post the best jobless figures, but its rate jumped from 5.0 to 6.3 percent.

In January, Iberville Parish had 10,826 employed and 1,575 jobless workers. That is compared to December 2010, when there were 11,109 in jobs and 1,310 unemployed and the rate was 10.5 percent  and to January 2010, when there were 10,938 at work and 1,369 jobless and the rate was 11.1 percent.