The Lafayette region lost 500 jobs in July compared to the year before, the only one of Louisiana's seven metro areas to see a yearly drop in employment.

The area also lost 800 jobs from June to July, according to figures released by the Louisiana Workforce Commission. The numbers were not adjusted for seasonal changes.

Lafayette employed 200,500 nonfarm payrolls in July.

Mining and logging, which includes the oil and gas sector, fell by 600 jobs in Lafayette over the year. The Lafayette region's non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.9 percent.

"This downturn has impacted the energy sector in a way that hasn’t been seen since the 1980s," said Gregg Gothreaux, president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Agency. "It will take many years for the industry to rebound and re-establish in the region. Even then, the industry will not look the same. Companies have made cuts, and many may seek new efficiencies or technologies to continue to run their business with a streamlined employee base."

Since January 2017, Gothreaux noted, the Lafayette area has added 4,100 jobs, but the unemployment rate for both the MSA and the parish do not reflect the 21,600 jobs that have been lost since June 2014.

"While some people may have left the region, many have secured employment in other areas of the state or country and are still bringing their paychecks back to the region as indicated by growing retail sales numbers," Gothreaux said.

All other regions posted jobs gains, as Louisiana's nonfarm employment rose by 26,000 to 1,980,200 over the year. The seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate ticked up to 4.9 percent in July, higher than the national rate of 3.9 percent.

BATON ROUGE: The Baton Rouge region added 8,400 jobs in July, lifting employment to 410,400 jobs. Employment in the construction sector rose by 2,500 jobs over the year. Leisure and hospitality added 1,100 jobs, and health care and social assistance gained 1,200.

NEW ORLEANS: The region added 9,700 jobs over the year, to 578,200, the highest gain of any Louisiana metro area. Construction rose 1,700 over the year. Manufacturing, up 1,400; education and health services, up 2,100; and leisure and hospitality, up 2,500, also rose. Professional and business services fell by 1,200 jobs.

LAFAYETTE: The area was the only region in Louisiana to post an over the year loss, falling by 500 jobs to 200,500. Mining and logging, which includes the oil and gas sector, dropped by 600 jobs. Professional and business services fell 900. Manufacturing, up 700; and education and health services, up 500, rose in July.

In other Louisiana markets, Lake Charles added 2,400 jobs over the year, to 119,600. It was the 85th-straight month of over-the-year job gains. Houma region added 300 jobs over the year, bringing employment to 86,000. Hammond area employment rose by 1,100 jobs over the year, to 46,400. Alexandria added 300 jobs, to 62,100. Monroe added 900 jobs to 78,500. Shreveport employment rose by 900 jobs to 179,900.