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.
No.8
Louisiana among Forbes.com's top 10 for growth prospects
Louisiana is ranked No. 8 in the growth prospects category of
Forbes.com's 2009 "Best States for Business." The ranking considers
projected job, income and gross state product growth, as well as
business openings and closings and venture capital investments.
Louisiana was previously ranked No. 17.
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.
New Orleans and Baton Rouge among top 10 recession-proof
cities
BusinessWeek published its rankings of
the best cities to ride out the recession, highlighting cities with
opportunities for job growth and job security. New Orleans was
credited for a low unemployment rate, numerous construction
projects and healthy financial institutions. Baton Rouge was lauded
for its major construction projects and positive jobs
projections.
#2
Louisiana ranked second for best job market during 2008
A Gallup poll ranked Louisiana second in the nation for best job
market in 2008. The state had a net new hiring index of 35, which
was based on the percentage of people who say their companies are
hiring, minus the percentage who say their companies are
downsizing.
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.
No.2
Louisiana ranks second for economic performance during a
recession
A recent analysis of economic progress in all 50 states shows
that Louisiana continues to fare well despite the national
recession. The study, published in August 2009 by Portfolio.com,
shows that income, wages and construction jobs in Louisiana
continue to rise, while the state's unemployment rate trails the
national average.
#18
Louisiana's economic outlook ranks 18th in the nation
In its 2009 state-by-state economic outlook report, the American
Legislative Exchange Council ranked Louisiana's economic outlook
18th out of 50 states. Louisiana received a No. 1 ranking in
"Recently Legislated Tax Changes," "Righ-to-work" laws and
"Estate/Inheritance Tax Levied" categories, as well as two top 10
rankings. Louisiana previously ranked 21st.
ONE
Louisiana rockets to No. 1 on financial disclosure
rankings
Recent government ethics reform made by Gov. Bobby Jindal and
the Louisiana Legislature continues to gain positive national
attention. In June, the Center for Public Integrity ranked the
state No. 1 on its legislative financial disclosure laws, making it
the most improved state. Louisiana previously ranked 44th.
No.1
No other Southern state scored higher than Louisiana for jobs
and investment
In July, Southern Business & Development magazine named
Louisiana Co-state of the Year, sharing the honor with Tennessee.
Louisiana topped 15 other Southern states in the annual SB&D
100 rankings, with its two most populous areas, New Orleans and
Baton Rouge, also received recognition. New Orleans was named Major
Market of the Year, and Baton Rouge was named Mid-Market of the
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.
First
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.
#22
#22 in Site Selection magazine's Top
State Business Climate rankings
Louisiana recently made it onto Site
Selection magazine's Top State Business Climate Rankings,
which weighs factors such as business incentives and business
development projects. Louisiana went from being unranked in 2007 to
No. 22 in 2008.
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.
193k
193,000 square feet of wet lab incubator space in
Louisiana
Louisiana fully supports and understands the value of its
biotechnology industry. Currently, Louisiana has 193,000 square
feet of wet lab incubator space in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and
Shreveport. Leveraging partnerships with local research
universities, the incubators are attracting research and
development startups in biotechnology and agricultural and
environmental technologies.
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 active refineries account for
17% of the total U.S. refining capacity.
