Louisiana’s unemployment insurance system is supposed to protect workers who lose their job through no fault of their own by providing support to help make ends meet while they look for work or retrain for a new occupation. But Louisiana’s unemployment benefits are notoriously skimpy, with average weekly benefits that are currently the lowest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. … Read more...
April 2022
Payday lending: significant financial harms
Payday loans in Louisiana carry annual percentage rates (APR) of interest averaging 400%. These high-cost loans are marketed as quick solutions to a financial emergency.… Read more...
Nearly half of Louisiana workers lack access to paid sick days. And, low wage workers are two and three times less likely to have access to paid sick days than higher wage workers. This means those who struggle the most to make ends meet routinely face an excruciating choice between caring for themselves and their families when they get sick or keeping their job.… Read more...
Every Louisiana child deserves a high-quality education, and that can only happen if our public schools are staffed by talented, dedicated, and well-compensated teachers. But Louisiana continues to lag far behind our regional and national peers in teacher pay. Public school teachers in Louisiana are paid an average of $12,567 below their national peers and $3,639 below the Southern regional average, according to the Southern Regional Education Board.… Read more...