The state of Louisiana has been in flux for quite some time for a myriad of reasons. Fits and spurts of population growth and loss, the employment landscape shifting in the region, and other factors have led to a great deal of uncertainty about where Louisiana stands economically.
Barry Irwin, Chief Policy Officer with Leaders for a Better Louisiana, joined WWL’s Tommy Tucker to discuss the well-being of the state and what metrics his institute is prioritizing when trying to gauge the overall economic well-being of Louisiana. According to Irwin, there are positives and negatives to be gleaned from the recent info.
The good news is that, according to Irwin’s data, Louisiana actually outgrew the nation in terms of job growth over the course of the past year, which rarely occurs. Additionally, education and workforce numbers have actually improved since the group started conducting these surveys.
However, Louisiana dropped when it comes to tax competitiveness. That said, Irwin told our own Tommy Tucker that he expects that metric to actually rise as soon as the new numbers from the Tax Foundation come out later this year. Irwin says he expects that to happen because of the changes recently made in the Louisiana special session.
Other states surrounding Louisiana do similar economic surveys to gauge their economic health, although the metrics do tend to shift from state to state a bit.
Irwin emphasized that his institute believes kindergarten readiness and literacy programs are extremely important. He also told Tommy Tucker he wants to increase educational attainment so those of all ages can seek the education they require to gain proper employment in the state.
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