Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 7/27/00
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   44

TANGIPAHOA UNEMPLOYMENT RATE UP FOR JUNE
     HAMMOND -- Tangipahoa Parish's unemployment rate for June 2000 is 8.7 percent, up
from the May 2000 rate of 6.7 percent, according to Southeastern Louisiana University business
professor Yu Hsing.
     "A positive development is that the number of employed actually increased from 42,520
in May to 42,780 in June," said Hsing, head of the university's General Business Department.
"The main reason for the rising unemployment rate is the graduation season."
     "Many high school and college graduates are looking for jobs or waiting for offers,"
Hsing said. "Some graduates like to take a break after graduation before seriously looking for
jobs. Others may remain unemployed in order to look for better offers." He said that the current
unemployment rate is close to last June's number -- 8.1 percent.
     Hsing said statewide the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7 percent with
96,900 people unemployed. Figures for area parishes include Livingston Parish, 6.7 percent; St.
Helena Parish, 6.9 percent; St. Tammany Parish, 4.1 percent, and Washington Parish, 7.5
percent.
     Hsing said East Carroll Parish had the highest unemployment of 15.5 percent, while
Lincoln Parish had the lowest rate, 2.7 percent.
                             -SLU-
Press release available online at www.selu.edu./NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsp00.htm