unemployment

August 15, 2018

State Con-Con losing steam

The efforts to rewrite Louisiana’s oft-amended constitution appear to be losing momentum. Jeremy Alford reports that the con-con idea, popular among special interest groups and voters who want fewer restrictions on how state dollars can be spent, remains woefully short on specifics.

Number of the Day

384 -  The number of Medicaid patients in Louisiana who were successful in attaining treatment for Hepatitis C last year, out of nearly 35,000 Medicaid patients living with the illness. (Source: The Advocate)
February 5, 2018

A new stall tactic

State legislators have had nearly two years to prepare for the $1 billion-plus “fiscal cliff” that Louisiana faces on July 1, when a host of temporary taxes expire.

Number of the Day

$145.7 million - Amount of money Louisiana consumers pay annually in fees on short-term “payday” loans with interest rates of at least 300 percent APR.  (Source: Center for Responsible Lending)
January 25, 2018

Governor optimistic about state’s future

Gov. John Bel Edwards paid a visit to The Advocate’s editorial board last week, and said he remains optimistic about Louisiana’s trajectory despite the Legislature’s failure to address the state’s chronic structural budget shortfalls.

Number of the Day

40.1 - Amount of federal aid Louisiana receives as a percentage of state general revenue. (Source: Tax Foundation)
January 24, 2018

Unemployment rate continues to drop

Now at 4.6 percent -- its lowest since March 2008 -- the unemployment rate in Louisiana continued to drop for the eighth consecutive month in December.

Number of the Day

5,500 - The net number of new jobs added to the market over the past 12 months in Louisiana. (Source: Economic Policy Institute)