Louisiana forecast to gain 66,700 jobs through 2016



By Bill Lodge | blodge@theadvocate.com

Work on $103 billion in industrial development and expansion is the primary factor in Louisianaā€™s expectedĀ job growthĀ of 66,700 over the next two years, LSU economists reported Wednesday in Baton Rouge.

TheĀ Baton RougeĀ andĀ New OrleansĀ areas can expect the largest job gains for 2015-16.

ā€œLouisiana is in the midst of an industrial boom unlike any other in our history, with over $100 billion in industrial projects either under construction or at the front-end engineering and design phase,ā€ economists Loren C.Ā ScottĀ and James A. Richardson said in their annual two-year forecast.

ā€œIf our forecasts are near the mark, sometime in 2015 Louisiana will have more than 2 million nonfarm employees for the first time in its history,ā€ the report said.

That growth, however, will divide Louisiana into two unequal halves, the economists wrote.

ā€œThe outlook across Louisianaā€™s eight (metropolitan statistical areas) is almost split along Interstate 10,ā€ the pair noted. ā€œThose MSAs along and below that interstate will enjoy very good growth. MSAs above I-10 are likely to experience only modest employment gains.ā€ FULL ARTICLEĀ 

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