Population and job growth are stagnant in the state of Louisiana. According to a report by the Pelican Institute, the growth of Louisiana's net non-farm jobs growth is the worst among states in the Deep South. The survey also says Louisiana ranks in the bottom 10 in the nation in population growth and unemployment rate.
The Pelican Institute believes it has a solution to improving those figures.
"There are a lot of things that need to be improved," Vance Ginn, the conservative think tank's chief economist said. "We need tax reform, spending restraint, and regulatory reform coming up."
Ginn told WWL's Tommy Tucker that lawmakers have already taken one step to improve the state's job climate by passing a law reforming the state's occupational license law.
"Whenever you look at occupational licensing reform: florists not having to have an occupational license. I think that will help to get government out of the way," Ginn said. "It starts to remove the obstacles that are in the way for Louisianans to gain the jobs that they want."
Ginn says getting more people into the workforce will result in more revenue for the state, which he says could ultimately help the state wean itself off the personal income tax.
"What we're going to be pushing for next year is major tax reforms," Gill said. "We'd get to a flat income tax--hopefully that's what we'd get to and--over time, eliminate the personal income tax."
