As the Louisiana economy continues to strengthen and the state's appeal as a place for business continues to grow, these numbers quantify our progress.
#1
LED Faststart™ is No. 1 workforce training program
in the country for second year in a row
Business Facilities named LED Faststart the No. 1 workforce training program in the country for the second year in a row. Called the "gold standard for workforce training solutions," LED Faststart provides customized recruitment, screening and training to eligible companies expanding in or relocating to Louisiana – at no cost. Louisiana also ranked in the top 10 for best business climate, economic growth potential and low cost of labor in the annual rankings report.
No. 1
NO OTHER SOUTHERN STATE SCORED HIGHER THAN LOUISIANA FOR JOBS AND INVESTMENT
For the third straight year, Southern Business & Development magazine named Louisiana "State of the Year," beating 16 other Southern states in the annual SB&D 100 rankings. Several of Louisiana's major metropolitan areas - Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Monroe and New Orleans - also received recognition by SB&D in their respective categories. In addition, Nucor Corp., one of the largest industrial projects in Louisiana history, received the "Heavy Manufacturing Deal of the Year" award, and St. James Parish was specially recognized.
No. 1
Louisiana Named 2010 "State of the Year"
Business Facilities Magazine named Louisiana as the 2010 "State of the Year." Louisiana's business development successes, targeted economic growth strategy and innovative incentives helped secure the honor. In addition, the Nucor Corp. project in St. James Parish received a Bronze Award in the magazine's "Economic Development Deal of the Year" competition.
#27
Louisiana jumps 14 spots in business climate ranking
Chief Executive magazine's seventh annual "Best and Worst States for Business" report ranked Louisiana 27th, up from 41st in 2010. The report weighs the opinions of more than 500 CEOs who rate states on criteria such as taxation, regulation, workforce quality and living environment. Louisiana's rise in the ranking makes it the most improved state over the past four years.
#16
Louisiana ranks 16th for growth of women-owned businesses
The number of women-owned businesses in Louisiana increased by 54.5 percent from 1997 to 2011, according to the American Express OPEN "State of Women-owned Business" report. Louisiana's growth beat the national average of 50 percent over that same time period. Louisiana is now home to 109,000 women-owned businesses.
#1
#1 for U.S. exports
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce named Louisiana the top U.S. export performer for 2009, based on four measures of export activity: value of exports as a share of total economic output, change in export value as a share of economic output, change in a state's share in the nation's total exports and overall export growth from 2002 to 2009.
#3
Louisiana among top three in 2010 Governor's Cup
Louisiana continues to move up in Site Selection magazine's annual Governor's Cup awards, ranking third in 2010. Rankings are based on the quantity of economic development projects for the calendar year. In addition, several Louisiana cities - New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport-Bossier, Houma-Thibodaux, Lake Charles, Monroe, Alexandria, Morgan City, Hammond and New Iberia - were among the top metros.
#3
Louisiana ranks third for best job market during 2009
A Gallup poll ranked Louisiana third in the nation for best job market in 2009. The state had a net job creation index of 12, which was based on the percentage of people who say their companies are hiring, minus the percentage who say their companies are downsizing.
No. 4
No. 4 for entrepreneurial activity
Louisiana ranked fourth on the 2010 Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. Based on per capita number of business startups, the index listed Louisiana at a rate of 460 entrepreneurs per 100,000 state residents. In 2009, Louisiana ranked eighth.
3rd
Louisiana's tech industry is third in the nation for
wage growth
In April 2010, TechAmerica's Cyberstates report ranked Louisiana third for high-tech job wage growth, following a statewide increase in tech wages of 1.4% from 2007 to 2008.
#3
No. 3 for independent filmmaking
MovieMaker magazine named Shreveport the third best city in the nation for independent filmmaking in 2010. During this period, Northwest Louisiana secured 15 productions.
1st
Louisiana rockets to No. 1 on ethics disclosure laws
Recent government ethics reform made by Gov. Bobby Jindal and the Louisiana Legislature continues to gain positive national attention. In June 2008, the Center for Public Integrity ranked the state No. 1 on its ethics disclosure laws, making it the most improved state. Louisiana previously ranked 44th.
Louisiana among Top 10 for Business Climate
Louisiana ranks ninth best state in Site Selection magazine's 2010 "Top State Business Climate Rankings," earning its highest ranking ever. The ranking is based on a survey of site selection consultants and corporate executives, as well as quantitative data of business facility activity.
New Orleans makes Fast Company's list of world's fastest cities
Fast Company's list of "12 Fast Cities of 2009" highlighted New Orleans for its new generation of social entrepreneurs. The list included cities with "exemplary initiatives [that] are improving neighborhoods, transforming lives and helping build better, faster cities for the future."
Louisiana's tech industry is among the top 10 for employment growth
Louisiana is among the 10 fastest-growing states for high-tech employment, according to Tech America's 12th annual Cyberstates report. The report shows Louisiana gained 4,349 high-tech jobs, an 11.3% gain, between 2002 and 2007 - a period during which the nation lost 1.2% of its high-tech jobs. Louisiana also ranks 10th for numeric gains and seventh for percent change.
5th
Louisiana is fifth in the nation for integration of technology in the classroom
As U.S. schools and students strive to remain competitive in the global economy, smart integration of technology in the classroom grows increasingly critical. In its fall 2008 issue, Converge - a magazine focusing on technology in education - ranked the top 10 states for effective use of technology in the classroom. Louisiana ranked fifth.
3
Three Louisiana cities listed among top 10 for jobs
In April 2009, Forbes ranked the nation's top 10 mid-sized cities for jobs. Three Louisiana cities made the list - Lafayette was No. 3, Baton Rouge was No. 7 and Shreveport-Bossier City was No. 8. Lafayette was heralded for years of consistent job growth - 16.3% between 1997 and 2009. Baton Rouge was credited for its diversity of industries, and Shreveport jumped 51 spots due to its strong natural gas industry and port.
#16
Louisiana's economic outlook ranks 16th in the nation
In its 2010 state-by-state economic outlook report, the American Legislative Exchange Council ranked Louisiana's economic outlook 16th out of 50 states. Louisiana received a No. 1 ranking in "Recently Legislated Tax Changes," "Right-to-Work" laws, "State Minimum Wage" and "Estate/Inheritance Tax Levied" categories, as well as two top 10 rankings. Louisiana's ranking improved for the second consecutive year.
1st
Louisiana scores the first EA SPORTS™ global testing facility
International video game giant EA SPORTS was seeking the perfect location for its first global quality assurance center. They found it in Louisiana.
The first of its kind in the United States, the facility serves as a test center for EA SPORTS video games, which include such popular titles as Madden NFL and Tiger Woods PGA Tour. The testing center is located at the Louisiana State University campus in Baton Rouge, La.
#3
Top destination for filmmaking, behind only California and New York
What began with a unique tax incentive package targeting motion picture production has resulted in a robust and rapidly expanding film industry in Louisiana.
In 2008, Louisiana set a production record with more than 80 major film and television projects, representing more than $800 million in production budgets, including approximately $500 million spent in state.
1st
1st state to build modular components for nuclear reactors
The first U.S. facility building modular components for nuclear reactors is expected to open in Lake Charles, La. Plans for several new U.S. reactors, along with a growing global demand for nuclear energy, have necessitated standard manufacturing procedures. The venture, known as "Shaw Modular Solutions," is being developed by Baton Rouge-based Fortune 500 company The Shaw Group Inc.
5th
Louisiana's government ethics ranking, up from 46th
Six weeks after Gov. Bobby Jindal's inauguration, Louisiana implemented the strongest governmental ethics laws in the country, which catapulted Louisiana's overall ranking from 46th to fifth in the Better Government Association's 2008 Integrity Index.
The reforms have been called a national model upon which other states will base their own ethics laws in the future.
346,299 microenterprises in Louisiana
More than 24 million microenterprises exist in the United States. Of these, 346,299 are doing business in Louisiana, accounting for 17.9% of all employment in the state. Louisiana's Microenterprise Development Program equips eligible individuals with the personal and business development skills they need to create owner-operated microenterprise businesses.
No.5
No. 5 ranking for entrepreneurial activity
Louisiana was ranked No. 5 for entrepreneurial activity by the 2008 State New Economy Index. Louisiana's business owners know this is a good environment for entrepreneurs. According to BusinessWeek, the state's most populous metropolitan areas - New Orleans and Baton Rouge - are among the best cities in America to ride out the recession.
2nd
2nd most significant industrial projects slated to begin in 2009
Louisiana ranked second among states surveyed for significant industrial projects set for construction in 2009, according to an analysis by Industrial Info Resources, a leading marketing information service.
Three of Louisiana's regions ranked in the top 10 for early 2009 hiring projections
In 2008, Louisiana's job growth was higher and unemployment figures were lower than the rest of the South and the United States. Manpower Inc. ranked three of the state's metropolitan areas in the nation's top 10 regions for hiring projections in early 2009. Lafayette ranked first in the nation, while New Orleans was sixth and Shreveport/Bossier City eighth.
1and2
Louisiana is No. 1 in crude oil production and No. 2 in natural gas production
Including offshore production on the Outer Continental Shelf, Louisiana is No. 1 in crude oil production and No. 2 in natural gas production in the U.S. Also, 88% of U.S. offshore rigs are off Louisiana's coast, and the state's 19 operable refineries account for 17% of the total U.S. refining capacity.
