LABI Says Louisiana’s Economy Is Gaining Ground

Will Green from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry says the LA Driven plan is showing clear progress. Louisiana has already reached two major goals: moving into the top half of states for job creation and increasing high-wage jobs. Big projects from Amazon, Hyundai Steel, Meta, and others helped push those numbers up. Education indicators are improving too. Third-grade reading is up to 62%, close to the 66% target. High school graduation rates rose from 83.2% to 85% in only two years. Crime numbers are also moving down. Violent and property crime dropped 12% to 13%, helped by new accountability laws and better re-entry tools for people leaving prison. But challenges remain. Louisiana continues to lose working-age adults, and labor force participation is low. That’s why LABI is pushing legislation that expands paid internships, training, and career pathways to help keep talent in the state. Green says all the goals connect, and the upcoming legislative session will focus on keeping that momentum going.