Catahoula Parish employment hits 2026 high as jobless rate drops sharply

Catahoula Parish had more people working in August than in any other month this year, and its unemployment rate showed one of the largest one-month drops in Louisiana, according to preliminary figures from the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

The parish’s jobless rate fell to 4.3% in August from 5.7% in July. That 1.4-point drop was the fifth-largest among Louisiana’s 64 parishes, and it moved Catahoula up 12 places in the statewide rankings, from 55th in July to a tie for 43rd.

The parish counted 3,370 employed residents in August, up 134 from July and about 100 more than its previous 2026 high, set in April. The 4.1% one-month gain in employment was the third-largest percentage increase in the state.

Catahoula’s labor force also grew to 3,520, its largest of the year. The number of unemployed residents fell from 197 to 150.

The August rate ties the parish’s lowest of 2026, also recorded in April. Catahoula’s rate had stayed at 5.7% for June and July.

Catahoula’s rate remains above Louisiana’s rate of 3.7% for the month. Parish figures are not seasonally adjusted, and the 3.7% state figure is the comparable unadjusted number. Adjusted for seasonal swings, Louisiana’s rate was 4.2%, and the national rate was 4.1%.