If you’re looking for work but are having a difficult time finding a job, your chances of finding a job are better in St. Tammany Parish than anywhere else in the state.

The figures for the month of January are in and St. Tammany’s 6.2 percent unemployment rate follows only Lafourche Parish’s 6.0 as the lowest in the state.

The number of employed people in the parish is 104,203 with only 6,836 filing unemployment claims. Still, it’s an increase from 5.3 percent in December or a 16.6 percent increase in one month. A year ago, unemployment was 4.9 percent or 5,390, an increase of 27 percent. In neighboring parishes, their rates are much higher.

Washington Parish to the north experienced a rate of 10.8 percent up from 9.3 in December and 7.6 a year ago. Tangipahoa also experienced an increase from 7.2 percent last year to 9.4 this year with 8.1 percent in December.

Parishes to the south are also suffering. Jefferson Parish is now at 7.5 up from 5.5 a year ago; Orleans is at 9.5 percent, up from 7.5; St. Charles Parish is at 7.7 and St. Bernard at 7.9.

The rate nationally jumped from 9.7 percent in December and 8.5 percent last year to a whopping 10.6 percent. The state average is at 8.2 percent, up from 6.1 percent a year ago.

The highest percentage of unemployment in the state is West Carroll Parish with an unemployment rate of 21.1 percent.

The highest number of people unemployed is in Jefferson Parish with 16, 338 unemployed followed closely by East Baton Rouge at 16,190.

Nationally, there are 16.147 million out of work with Louisiana accounting for 168,305 of that amount or about 1 percent of the unemployed in the country.