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...

As the Louisiana legislature debates adding checks and balances to the state’s emergency powers, reports from both the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are painting a picture of just how economically damaging the state’s shutdown has been. Let’s start with the worst news. The BEA reported Louisiana’s economy shrank...

The most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed the U.S. economy is about halfway to recovery. Meanwhile, Louisiana job numbers are still falling well behind the rest of the nation. Overall, the report wasn’t surprising, as it revealed employment rose by 1.4 million in the month of August while the unemployment...

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...

Over the last few weeks, a trend has emerged showing less Louisianans filing for unemployment than previous weeks. This week saw this pattern continue, with just under 10,000 people filing for unemployment, a decrease of almost 3,500 from the previous week. This was, once again, a new low since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The number...

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...

Due to the damage caused by COVID-19 and government shutdowns, it’s been clear that no state was going to experience any economic growth through the first half of the year. Instead, the major question has revolved around which states’ economies would be hit the hardest. Well the first quarter results are in, and the numbers...