BATON ROUGE – The Greater Baton Rouge area has record-high employment and the fastest job growth among comparable metropolitan areas, an economic report released Monday says.

The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership's third-quarter report says that the Capital Area recorded 442,500 nonfarm jobs in July, with these numbers holding through September. Construction made up for the bulk of new jobs, reaching a record 58,700 jobs as projects including the Hyundai Steel plant in Ascension Parish and Hut 8's multibillion-dollar data center in West Feliciana Parish get off the ground.

The Capital Area added 13,700 jobs over the past year, a 3.2% increase.

Baton Rouge, the report says, ranked first among Louisiana metros in private sector weekly earnings at $1,236.65, with pay growing 5.5% over the past year, ahead of inflation rates.

Regional unemployment also fell to 3.5% in August, the lowest rate on record. Unemployment claims are also down 29% from last year. 

Amid a global surge in diesel prices, the Capital Area recorded the cheapest diesel prices among peer metro areas. The report adds that Louisiana industrial customers pay the lowest electricity rates in the South.