The President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, Don Briggs states that Acadiana and Lafayette alike have taken a major hit from the drop in oil and natural gas prices. The Director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission reports 2,400 jobs have been lost in the Lafayette and Houma areas.

 Briggs confirms that  oil and gas job losses worldwide have now reached 200,000 and the ripple effect is even greater than just oil and gas jobs. The decline in resource prices effect the real estate market, car dealerships, hotels and much more.

Christina Johnstone of the Lafayette location of the Louisiana Workforce Commission agrees. “You’re not making that shopping trip to the that high-end grocery store and buying a few items that you won’t buy when you’re laid off,” adds Johnstone.

Johnstone says a career session hosted by the commission on Wednesday had a large number of attendees. In fact, it may be one of the commission’s largest sessions ever. “As soon as the oil prices started to drop we started to see it.  It’s almost just like a faucet turned on. There are lot of people coming to seek employment or other services,” says Johnstone.

William Clemens says he was laid off last year from an oilfield services company.Clemens works as a Workforce Development Specialist II. “Those kind of people skills transferred when I came over here because now I’m working with different people from all different places,” adds Clemens. “Once you get over the initial shock of losing your job you have to think about what you’re capable of doing.”

Johnstone says the Workforce Commission, Lafayette Office, received a federal grant (JD-NEG) that will allow them to reimburse employers for training someone on the job. Martin Richard is the Job Driven National Emergency Grant Coordinator (JD-NEG). “With the oilfield going down these are people who have specialized skills in an area where jobs aren’t available and going back to college may not be an option; or going into long term training. This is an option that gets them on the job training while they’re getting paid.  The employer can get reimbursed the hours that individual is working and learning new skills,” explains Richard.

 Richard says the center has helped 63 individuals with the grant and just received another $50,000 to help more people find work.  For information contact the Louisiana Workforce Commission Lafayette Business & Career Solutions Center at 706 E. Vermilion Street (337) 262-5601.

Not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates and over-the-year changes in non-farm employment for each metro area are as follows:

  • Alexandria: 6.5 percent, down from 6.8 percent in July and 7.9 percent in August 2014; 200 fewer jobs than August 2014.
  • Baton Rouge: 5.5 percent, down from 5.7 percent in July and 6.8 in August 2014; 7,300 more jobs over the year.
  • Hammond: 7.1 percent, down from 7.4 percent in July and 8.6 in August 2014; 500 more jobs over the year.
  • Houma, 5.5 percent, down from 5.6 percent in July and 5.7 in August 2014; 2,300 fewer jobs over the year.
  • Lafayette: 6.2 percent, down from 6.4 percent in July and at the same level same as August 2014; 3,000 fewer jobs over the year.
  • Lake Charles: 5.3 percent, down from 5.5 percent in July and 6.9 percent in August 2014; 3,800 more jobs over the year.
  • Monroe: 6.8 percent, down from 6.9 percent in July and 8.1 percent in August 2014; 800 fewer jobs over the year.
  • New Orleans: 6.1 percent, down from 6.4 percent in July and 7.4 percent in August 2014; 2,200 fewer jobs over the year.
  • Shreveport: 6.9 percent, down from 7.2 percent in July and 8.1 percent in August 2014; 1,900 fewer jobs over the year.