The metro area's rate is 5.2 percent, second lowest in the state.
Lafayette Parish's unemployment rate fell from 5.9 percent in September 2010 to 5 percent this September. It was 5.3 percent in August.
The metro, which includes St. Martin Parish, was 6.2 percent in September a year ago and has fallen to 5.2. It was 5.6 percent in August. The Houma metro is outperforming the rest of the state, with an unemployment rate of 4.7 percent.
For the third month in a row, unemployment rates across all metro areas in the state went down in September. Louisiana's unemployment rate of 6.9 percent, a significant drop from the August rate of 7.3 percent, is the lowest unadjusted unemployment rate since April 2010, the Louisiana Workforce Commission reported this week.
The U.S. rate also improved to 8.8 percent from the August rate of 9.1 percent.
Unemployment rates for the state's other MSAs - September v. August:
· Alexandria, 6.5 percent, down from 6.9 percent
· Baton Rouge, 7.0 percent, down from 7.6 percent
· Houma, 4.7 percent, down from 4.9 percent
· Lake Charles, 6.1 percent, down from 6.6 percent
· Monroe, 7.2 percent, down from 7.7 percent
· New Orleans, 6.9 percent, down from 7.3 percent
· Shreveport, 6.3 percent, down from 6.7 percent in August
At the MSA level, the Baton Rouge MSA added the most nonfarm jobs over the month with an increase of 4,100 jobs, and the New Orleans MSA added the most over the year with a gain of 10,900 jobs.
Review Lafayette's historical unemployment rate here.