Summary 07-01 / May 2007 • U.S. Department of Labor • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane 

Katrina struck the Gulf Coast 

of the United States, causing tragic 

loss of life and catastrophic damage in local communities. The 

destruction of property and infrastructure resulted in large numbers 

of workers and their families being 

displaced. The devastating impact 

of this storm still resonates in the 

nation; however, substantial recovery in employment was evident by 

the third quarter of 2006 in many 

of the areas most heavily affected 

by Hurricane Katrina. 

The effects of this storm on 

employment totals in the Quarterly 

Census of Employment and Wages 

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for September 2005. In the Gulf 

Coast, Hurricane Katrina caused 

the most extensive job losses in 

Recovery After Hurricane Katrina: Employment in the Gulf 

Coast Area

two large parishes in Louisiana—

Jefferson and Orleans—and one 

large county in Mississippi—Harrison. In addition to these areas, 

three parishes and two counties 

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ment losses as a result of the storm: 

Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and St. 

Tammany Parishes in Louisiana, 

and Hancock and Jackson Counties 

in Mississippi. These eight areas 

were heavily affected by Hurricane 

Katrina and sustained the largest 

job losses within the Gulf Coast 

region. The destruction from high 

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contributed to their combined loss 

of 127,900 jobs between August 

2005 and August 2006. Damage in 

the Mississippi counties was largely due to hurricane-related winds 

and storm surges. In the Louisiana 

parishes, damage was primarily 

IURPÀRRGLQJHVSHFLDOO\LQ-HIIHUson, Orleans, and St. Bernard. One 

year after the storm, the combined 

employment level in these eight 

communities recovered to 82 percent of the pre-Katrina level.

Among the three large areas, the recovery of jobs has been 

weakest in Orleans Parish, where 

August employment was down by 

88,300 between 2005 and 2006. As 

of August 2006, employment had 

recovered to only 63 percent of its 

pre-Katrina level. Jefferson Parish 

rebounded more quickly and has experienced a much stronger recovery. 

As a result, by October 2005, Jefferson replaced Orleans as Louisiana’s 

largest coastal parish and became 

the second largest parish in the state 

in terms of employment. In August 

2005, the level of employment in 

Jefferson Parish was only 89 percent of the level in Orleans. A year 

later, employment in Jefferson was 

28 percent greater than in Orleans.

August 2006 employment has 

recovered to 91 percent of the 

pre-Katrina level in Jefferson Parish and to 90 percent in Harrison 

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recovery following the storm, employment levels in Jefferson Parish and Harrison County remained 

lower through August 2006; Jefferson was down 19,800 jobs and 

Harrison was down 8,900. 

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smaller communities of the Gulf 

Coast where employment was 

Continued on back

Employment in large areas heavily affected by Hurricane Katrina

300,000

250,000

200,000

0

150,000

100,000

50,000

Hurricane Katrina

Aug. 29, 2005 (after August reference period)

Jefferson Parish Harrison County Orleans Parish

Jul-05 Aug-05 Sep-05 Oct-05 Nov-05 Dec-05 Jan-06 Feb-06 Mar-06 Apr-06 May-06 June-06 Jul-06 Aug-06

Employment
heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina lost an aggregate 10,900 jobs 

over the year. Recovery was strong 

in this combined area, where total employment recovered to 93.4 

percent of the pre-Katrina level. 

St. Tammany Parish, La., experienced a noteworthy recovery, with 

August 2006 employment growing 

by 2,200 jobs over the year and exceeding pre-Katrina levels by three 

percent. St. Bernard Parish, however, lost 9,300 jobs between August 2005 and August 2006, when 

employment was only 47 percent 

of the pre-Katrina level. Recovery 

in St. Bernard, like Orleans, has 

been considerably hindered by the 

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These data were obtained by 

the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages in the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics. Data presented 

here are for all workers covered 

by State and Federal unemployment insurance programs. Large 

counties or parishes refer to those 

with employment levels of 75,000 

Employment in areas heavily affected by Hurricane Katrina

Parish/County

August 2005 

employment

(in thousands)

August 2006 

employment

(in thousands)

August 2006 

employment 

as percent of 

pre-Katrina 

employment

Change in 

employment, 

August 2005 to 

August 2006 (in 

thousands)

Louisiana Parishes (5) 555.9 439.9 79.1 -116.0

Jefferson 214.3 194.5 90.8 -19.8

Orleans 240.5 152.2 63.3 -88.3

Plaquemines 15.2 14.4 94.7 -0.8

St. Bernard 17.5 8.2 46.9 -9.3

St. Tammany 68.4 70.6 103.2 2.2

Mississippi Counties (3) 154.8 142.9 92.3 -11.9

Hancock 14.2 12.2 85.9 -2.0

Harrison 91.5 82.6 90.3 -8.9

Jackson 49.1 48.1 98.0 -1.0

Total Affected Area (8) 710.7 582.8 82.0 -127.9

or more in 2005. Additonal charts 

are available online at www.bls.

gov/katrina/smallareas.pdf. For 

additional information, contact 

Robert Viégas, an economist in the 

Division of Administrative StatisWLFVDQG/DERU7XUQRYHU2I¿FHRI

Employment and Unemployment 

Statistics. E-mail: viegas.robert@

bls.gov. Telephone: 202-691-5162.

Information in this summary 

will be made available to sensoryimpaired individuals upon request. 

Voice phone: (202) 691-5200. 

Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-

8339. This report is in the public 

domain and may be reproduced 

without permission.

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