by Eric Peterson, director of the Pelican Center for Technology and Innovation Policy At first glance, the December State Employment and Unemployment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics appeared positive for Louisiana. However, a closer look at the numbers reveals there is still a long way to go in the state’s economic recovery. The...

Despite mostly good news on both the Louisiana health and economic fronts over the last few months, November has brought spikes in both unemployment and COVID-19 cases. While unemployment claims had been trending downwards for some time, even getting below 10,000 for a few weeks, the week ending November 14 saw claims jump to over...

Last week saw the release of some of best economic news for the state of Louisiana in a long time. According to the Department of Labor’s data for the week ending August 8, the number of Louisianans on unemployment insurance decreased by more than 53,000. This comes on the heels of a 27,000-person decrease during...

After faint signs of hope of economic recovery in recent weeks, the decision to shut down bars for the second time seems to be taking a toll on Louisianans’ livelihoods. Governor John Bel Edwards issued the order to close all bars in the state on July 13. The Department of Labor released its latest unemployment data Thursday, and the...

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its latest state-by-state jobs numbers, which featured some overall good news for Louisiana. The state’s June unemployment rate dropped by 4.5 percent, dipping under 10 percent for the first time in months. While this headline shows some improvement in Louisiana’s economic situation, there are reasons to take...

Following the revelation that Louisiana suffered one of the worst Q1 economic declines in the nation, today’s weekly unemployment claims announcement contains even more bad news for Louisianans. Despite remaining steady over the past six weeks, the Department of Labor reports the week of July 4 saw a 45 percent increase in the number of...

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently reported that America gained 2.5 million jobs in the month of May, leaving many in Louisiana wondering how that would translate to the state’s economy. This morning’s BLS report showed Louisiana gaining almost 33,000 jobs in May, leading to a decline in the unemployment rate of 1.8 percent. The state’s...

The proposed Labor Department budget for fiscal year 2013 includes money for 35 new investigators to dig through business records and go after employers and employees who contract independently.