Data / Rankings / Covered employment (QCEW) / Counties in Louisiana

Counties in Louisiana by covered employment (QCEW)

East Baton Rouge Parish had the highest covered employment (QCEW) of 64 counties in 2020, at 246,955 jobs. Tensas Parish had the lowest, at 827 jobs. The median was 9,753 jobs and the figure for Louisiana was 1,780,574 jobs. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest246,955East Baton Rouge Parish
Lowest827Tensas Parish
Median9,75364 counties
Louisiana1,780,574History

Map of counties, 2020

Acadia Parish: 13,746 jobsAllen Parish: 7,061 jobsAscension Parish: 43,380 jobsAssumption Parish: 3,508 jobsAvoyelles Parish: 9,743 jobsBeauregard Parish: 8,280 jobsBienville Parish: 3,988 jobsBossier Parish: 41,000 jobsCaddo Parish: 103,628 jobsCalcasieu Parish: 86,296 jobsCaldwell Parish: 2,103 jobsCameron Parish: 7,059 jobsCatahoula Parish: 2,064 jobsClaiborne Parish: 3,025 jobsConcordia Parish: 5,182 jobsDe Soto Parish: 6,463 jobsEast Baton Rouge Parish: 246,955 jobsEast Carroll Parish: 1,553 jobsEast Feliciana Parish: 4,634 jobsEvangeline Parish: 7,302 jobsFranklin Parish: 4,596 jobsGrant Parish: 3,261 jobsIberia Parish: 24,267 jobsIberville Parish: 14,787 jobsJackson Parish: 3,339 jobsJefferson Parish: 176,581 jobsJefferson Davis Parish: 7,847 jobsLafayette Parish: 123,502 jobsLafourche Parish: 32,746 jobsLaSalle Parish: 4,777 jobsLincoln Parish: 18,073 jobsLivingston Parish: 27,849 jobsMadison Parish: 3,071 jobsMorehouse Parish: 6,351 jobsNatchitoches Parish: 12,825 jobsOrleans Parish: 171,517 jobsOuachita Parish: 65,992 jobsPlaquemines Parish: 11,223 jobsPointe Coupee Parish: 5,048 jobsRapides Parish: 54,571 jobsRed River Parish: 2,320 jobsRichland Parish: 6,154 jobsSabine Parish: 5,348 jobsSt. Bernard Parish: 9,763 jobsSt. Charles Parish: 22,627 jobsSt. Helena Parish: 1,477 jobsSt. James Parish: 7,904 jobsSt. John the Baptist Parish: 13,025 jobsSt. Landry Parish: 23,031 jobsSt. Martin Parish: 11,096 jobsSt. Mary Parish: 19,683 jobsSt. Tammany Parish: 85,881 jobsTangipahoa Parish: 43,065 jobsTensas Parish: 827 jobsTerrebonne Parish: 46,314 jobsUnion Parish: 4,767 jobsVermilion Parish: 12,470 jobsVernon Parish: 12,236 jobsWashington Parish: 9,977 jobsWebster Parish: 11,093 jobsWest Baton Rouge Parish: 11,649 jobsWest Carroll Parish: 2,050 jobsWest Feliciana Parish: 5,387 jobsWinn Parish: 4,224 jobs
  • Under 3,000
  • 3,000 to 5,000
  • 5,000 to 10K
  • 10K to 14K
  • 14K to 43K
  • 43K and over
jobs, 2020. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2020

East Baton Rouge Parish: 246,955 jobsEast Baton Rouge Parish246,955Jefferson Parish: 176,581 jobsJefferson Parish176,581Orleans Parish: 171,517 jobsOrleans Parish171,517Lafayette Parish: 123,502 jobsLafayette Parish123,502Caddo Parish: 103,628 jobsCaddo Parish103,628Calcasieu Parish: 86,296 jobsCalcasieu Parish86,296St. Tammany Parish: 85,881 jobsSt. Tammany Parish85,881Ouachita Parish: 65,992 jobsOuachita Parish65,992Rapides Parish: 54,571 jobsRapides Parish54,571Terrebonne Parish: 46,314 jobsTerrebonne Parish46,314Ascension Parish: 43,380 jobsAscension Parish43,380Tangipahoa Parish: 43,065 jobsTangipahoa Parish43,065Bossier Parish: 41,000 jobsBossier Parish41,000Lafourche Parish: 32,746 jobsLafourche Parish32,746Livingston Parish: 27,849 jobsLivingston Parish27,849Iberia Parish: 24,267 jobsIberia Parish24,267St. Landry Parish: 23,031 jobsSt. Landry Parish23,031St. Charles Parish: 22,627 jobsSt. Charles Parish22,627St. Mary Parish: 19,683 jobsSt. Mary Parish19,683Lincoln Parish: 18,073 jobsLincoln Parish18,073Iberville Parish: 14,787 jobsIberville Parish14,787Acadia Parish: 13,746 jobsAcadia Parish13,746St. John the Baptist Parish: 13,025 jobsSt. John the Baptist Parish13,025Natchitoches Parish: 12,825 jobsNatchitoches Parish12,825Vermilion Parish: 12,470 jobsVermilion Parish12,470Vernon Parish: 12,236 jobsVernon Parish12,236West Baton Rouge Parish: 11,649 jobsWest Baton Rouge Parish11,649Plaquemines Parish: 11,223 jobsPlaquemines Parish11,223St. Martin Parish: 11,096 jobsSt. Martin Parish11,096Webster Parish: 11,093 jobsWebster Parish11,093Washington Parish: 9,977 jobsWashington Parish9,977St. Bernard Parish: 9,763 jobsSt. Bernard Parish9,763Avoyelles Parish: 9,743 jobsAvoyelles Parish9,743Beauregard Parish: 8,280 jobsBeauregard Parish8,280St. James Parish: 7,904 jobsSt. James Parish7,904Jefferson Davis Parish: 7,847 jobsJefferson Davis Parish7,847Evangeline Parish: 7,302 jobsEvangeline Parish7,302Allen Parish: 7,061 jobsAllen Parish7,061Cameron Parish: 7,059 jobsCameron Parish7,059De Soto Parish: 6,463 jobsDe Soto Parish6,463East Baton Rouge Parish: 246,955 jobsEast Baton Rouge Parish246,955Jefferson Parish: 176,581 jobsJefferson Parish176,581Orleans Parish: 171,517 jobsOrleans Parish171,517Lafayette Parish: 123,502 jobsLafayette Parish123,502Caddo Parish: 103,628 jobsCaddo Parish103,628Calcasieu Parish: 86,296 jobsCalcasieu Parish86,296St. Tammany Parish: 85,881 jobsSt. Tammany Parish85,881Ouachita Parish: 65,992 jobsOuachita Parish65,992Rapides Parish: 54,571 jobsRapides Parish54,571Terrebonne Parish: 46,314 jobsTerrebonne Parish46,314Ascension Parish: 43,380 jobsAscension Parish43,380Tangipahoa Parish: 43,065 jobsTangipahoa Parish43,065Bossier Parish: 41,000 jobsBossier Parish41,000Lafourche Parish: 32,746 jobsLafourche Parish32,746Livingston Parish: 27,849 jobsLivingston Parish27,849Iberia Parish: 24,267 jobsIberia Parish24,267St. Landry Parish: 23,031 jobsSt. Landry Parish23,031St. Charles Parish: 22,627 jobsSt. Charles Parish22,627St. Mary Parish: 19,683 jobsSt. Mary Parish19,683Lincoln Parish: 18,073 jobsLincoln Parish18,073Iberville Parish: 14,787 jobsIberville Parish14,787Acadia Parish: 13,746 jobsAcadia Parish13,746St. John the Baptist Parish: 13,025 jobsSt. John the Baptist Parish13,025Natchitoches Parish: 12,825 jobsNatchitoches Parish12,825Vermilion Parish: 12,470 jobsVermilion Parish12,470Vernon Parish: 12,236 jobsVernon Parish12,236West Baton Rouge Parish: 11,649 jobsWest Baton Rouge Parish11,649Plaquemines Parish: 11,223 jobsPlaquemines Parish11,223St. Martin Parish: 11,096 jobsSt. Martin Parish11,096Webster Parish: 11,093 jobsWebster Parish11,093Washington Parish: 9,977 jobsWashington Parish9,977St. Bernard Parish: 9,763 jobsSt. Bernard Parish9,763Avoyelles Parish: 9,743 jobsAvoyelles Parish9,743Beauregard Parish: 8,280 jobsBeauregard Parish8,280St. James Parish: 7,904 jobsSt. James Parish7,904Jefferson Davis Parish: 7,847 jobsJefferson Davis Parish7,847Evangeline Parish: 7,302 jobsEvangeline Parish7,302Allen Parish: 7,061 jobsAllen Parish7,061Cameron Parish: 7,059 jobsCameron Parish7,059De Soto Parish: 6,463 jobsDe Soto Parish6,463
jobs. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020
jobs		Change on 2019
1East Baton Rouge Parish246,955-6.9%
2Jefferson Parish176,581-7.1%
3Orleans Parish171,517-14.6%
4Lafayette Parish123,502-6.1%
5Caddo Parish103,628-6.9%
6Calcasieu Parish86,296-15.2%
7St. Tammany Parish85,881-5.1%
8Ouachita Parish65,992-5.5%
9Rapides Parish54,571-3.6%
10Terrebonne Parish46,314-7.4%
11Ascension Parish43,380-7.6%
12Tangipahoa Parish43,065-1.7%
13Bossier Parish41,000-7.8%
14Lafourche Parish32,746-4.3%
15Livingston Parish27,849-5.3%
16Iberia Parish24,267-8%
17St. Landry Parish23,031-3%
18St. Charles Parish22,627-4.2%
19St. Mary Parish19,683-7.5%
20Lincoln Parish18,073-6.2%
21Iberville Parish14,787-3.8%
22Acadia Parish13,746-4.5%
23St. John the Baptist Parish13,025-9.9%
24Natchitoches Parish12,825-3.5%
25Vermilion Parish12,470-1.8%
26Vernon Parish12,236-3.6%
27West Baton Rouge Parish11,649-5.5%
28Plaquemines Parish11,223-6.2%
29St. Martin Parish11,096-6.8%
30Webster Parish11,093-4.8%
31Washington Parish9,977-4.2%
32St. Bernard Parish9,763-3.7%
33Avoyelles Parish9,743-6.7%
34Beauregard Parish8,280-0.9%
35St. James Parish7,904-3.7%
36Jefferson Davis Parish7,847-5.6%
37Evangeline Parish7,302-3.4%
38Allen Parish7,061-9.2%
39Cameron Parish7,059-22.6%
40De Soto Parish6,463-5.3%
41Morehouse Parish6,351-2.7%
42Richland Parish6,154-5.3%
43West Feliciana Parish5,387-5.4%
44Sabine Parish5,348-2.3%
45Concordia Parish5,182-3.2%
46Pointe Coupee Parish5,048-4.4%
47LaSalle Parish4,777-0.4%
48Union Parish4,767-6.5%
49East Feliciana Parish4,634-10.1%
50Franklin Parish4,596-4.3%
51Winn Parish4,224-6.7%
52Bienville Parish3,988-6.4%
53Assumption Parish3,508-10.3%
54Jackson Parish3,339-1.7%
55Grant Parish3,261-5.1%
56Madison Parish3,071-1.6%
57Claiborne Parish3,025-10.9%
58Red River Parish2,320-7.9%
59Caldwell Parish2,103-7.9%
60Catahoula Parish2,064+2.5%
61West Carroll Parish2,050-1.4%
62East Carroll Parish1,553-8.4%
63St. Helena Parish1,477-7.5%
64Tensas Parish827-6.6%

Other periods

About this ranking

Average number of jobs covered by unemployment insurance during the year, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counted where the job is located, from the reports employers file each quarter; monthly employment counts the jobs in the pay period that includes the 12th.

Counts jobs, not people: someone with two jobs counts twice. Covers about 95 percent of US wage and salary jobs. Excludes the self-employed, most agricultural workers on small farms, the armed forces, elected officials in most states, most railroad employees, some domestic workers and most student workers at schools. A count of employer reports, not a survey estimate like oews_employment.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in Louisiana by covered employment (QCEW), 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Louisiana by covered employment (QCEW), 2020. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/louisiana-counties?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in Louisiana by covered employment (QCEW), 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/louisiana-counties?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Louisiana by covered employment (QCEW), 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/louisiana-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_louisiana_by_2020,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Louisiana by covered employment (QCEW), 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/louisiana-counties?period=2020. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Louisiana by covered employment (QCEW), 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/louisiana-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/covered-employment/louisiana-counties?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest covered employment (QCEW)?

East Baton Rouge Parish, with 246,955 jobs in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest covered employment (QCEW)?

Tensas Parish, with 827 jobs in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average employment, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Covered employment (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in Louisiana: more rankings