Louisiana | Economic Development Report
TerraMetrics
May 9, 2026
Total Employment
75.0K
Resilience Score
82/100
Diversification
102/100
Net Impact (Probable)
+67
Extreme hurricane exposure (Laura 2020, Delta 2020 devastation)
Energy sector (25%) creates both ecological footprint and transition-risk exposure.
Median household income $55K (0% vs state median) -- near the state median.
Unemployment 5.2% with 95,000 total employed. Poverty rate 16%.
Metro jurisdiction -- larger government apparatus with more regulatory complexity.
Economic Vitality: transitional -- governance under economic transition pressure, policy uncertainty elevated.
AI Exposure Index: 52/100 -- moderate vulnerability to AI-driven workforce disruption.
Highest risk sector: Petrochemical plant operations (AI process optimization reducing operators)
No significant financial sector employment -- BTC adoption impact is indirect through consumer behavior and investment flows.
Median income $55K -- moderate crypto adoption potential aligned with national trends.
22% bachelor's+ attainment is 11 points below the national average (33%).
84% high school+ completion rate -- significant portion of workforce lacks basic credentials.
16% poverty rate strains community cohesion and institutional trust.
Population declining (-1.5% since 2020) weakens social fabric and civic institutions.
Government sector (7% of employment) -- federal CBDC rollout would first affect benefits distribution and government payroll here.
16% poverty rate means a larger unbanked/underbanked population. CBDC could improve financial access -- or create new surveillance concerns.
Research institutions (McNeese State University) provide local quantum/STEM workforce pipeline, though direct quantum compute facilities are rare outside major metro areas.
22% bachelor's+ rate limits local STEM talent pool -- PQC migration will depend on external expertise.
Signature: Petrochemical & LNG Manufacturing - $112K avg manufacturing wage (highest in dataset). Citgo, Sasol, Venture Global LNG. $45B+ in announced industrial projects.
Top Commodities:
Net employment change by sector under probable futures scenario. Green = growth, Red = displacement risk.
Address healthcare worker shortages by building accelerated training programs, especially for AI-augmented care roles.
Position construction workforce for the modular housing revolution where AI designs and factories produce housing components.
Position existing manufacturing infrastructure to capture companies returning production from overseas, driven by supply chain security concerns.
Leverage existing petrochemical infrastructure and workforce for carbon capture, blue hydrogen, and sustainable chemistry.
Under the probable future, this county's strongest opportunity is healthcare workforce pipeline (feasibility: 74/100). The economic outlook is net positive with 67 potential new positions. Additionally, modular & ai-designed construction scores 60/100 feasibility.
Sasol (petrochemicals, Lake Charles complex)
Citgo Petroleum (refinery)
Cameron LNG (Sempra Energy)
Venture Global LNG (Calcasieu Pass)
L'Auberge Casino Resort
CHRISTUS Health Ochsner St. Patrick
McNeese State University
Entergy Louisiana
Quality Jobs Program
Cash rebate on new payroll for qualifying companies creating well-paying jobs. Louisiana's flagship incentive providing ...
rebateEnterprise Zone Program
State income and franchise tax credits for job creation in designated enterprise zones. Provides $2,500 per new job crea...
tax_creditIndustrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP)
Property tax abatement on new manufacturing investment. Provides an 80% exemption on ad valorem property taxes for up to...
exemptionDigital Interactive Media and Software Development Incentive
Refundable income tax credits for digital media and software development expenditures in Louisiana. Designed to attract ...
tax_creditTechnology Commercialization Credit
Tax credits for businesses investing in the commercialization of Louisiana university research. Supports the translation...
tax_creditCompetitive Projects Payroll Incentive
Enhanced payroll rebate for large-scale competitive projects that Louisiana is pursuing against other states. Provides f...
rebateTarget Sectors
Active Programs
Recent Wins
| Name | Investment | Jobs | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodside Energy Driftwood LNG $17.5B FID | $17.5B | - | 2025 |
| Aclara Resources $277M rare earth facility | $277M | - | 2025 |
| Energy Transfer Lake Charles LNG shelved early 2026 | - | - | 2026 |
| Priority | Dimension | Action | Impact | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| critical | Economic Disruption | Reduce Petrochemical/LNG Concentration Risk | +8 | local |
| critical | Education Value | Close the Skills Gap with AI-Ready Credentials | +6 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Convert AI Vulnerability into First-Mover Advantage | +6 | local |
| high | Social Trust | Targeted Poverty Reduction in Highest-Need Areas | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Pre-emptive Reskilling Pipeline: Petrochemical plant operations | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Sector-Aligned K-12 + Community College Pipeline | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Registered Apprenticeship Expansion: Healthcare & Social | +4 | local |
| high | Social Trust | Pre-Positioned Displaced Worker Rapid Response | +4 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Universal Broadband for AI Economy Participation | +2 | federal |
| medium | Ecological Stress | Climate Resilience Infrastructure Investment | +4 | local |
| medium | Education Value | Sector-Pivot Scholarship Voucher | +3 | local |
| critical | Economic Disruption | Energy Transition Contingency Plan | +8 | local |
| high | Ecological Stress | Coastal Resilience as Economic Infrastructure | +5 | local |
Total Impact
+65 pts
13 actions
Local Control
92%
12 of 13 actions
Critical Actions
3
highest priority
Impact estimates are modeled projections based on STEEPE dimension sensitivity analysis. Actual outcomes depend on implementation quality, timing, and external conditions.
Census CBP 2022, USDA Census of Agriculture 2022, Census ACS 2024, BLS QCEW, BEA County GDP, WARN Act Notices, TerraMetrics STEEPE Engine. Census QuickFacts: Calcasieu Parish. BEA: Lake Charles MSA GDP. SWLA Economic Development Alliance.
STEEPE Framework: A multi-dimensional disruption assessment covering Social, Technology (AI, Blockchain, CBDC, Quantum), Ecological, Economic, Political, and Education. Each dimension is scored 0-100, where higher values indicate greater disruption intensity. Scores shown in this report reflect the Probable scenario projection.
Resilience Score (0-100): How well-positioned a county is to absorb economic disruption. Calculated from economic diversification (40%), opportunity-to-threat ratio (35%), and average sector wage levels (25%). Higher scores indicate greater capacity to weather change.
Diversification Score (0-100): Economic diversity across industry sectors, based on the inverted Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). A score of 100 indicates a perfectly diversified economy; lower scores indicate concentration in fewer sectors, increasing vulnerability to sector-specific shocks.
AI Exposure Score (0-100): Degree of exposure to AI-driven disruption based on knowledge worker concentration, tech company density, and manufacturing automation exposure. Higher scores indicate greater exposure, meaning both higher risk of displacement and higher potential for AI-driven growth.
Futures Cone (Probable / Possible / Preferable): Based on the Voros (2003) futures cone methodology. Probable represents where current trends lead (highest confidence). Possible covers what could happen across a wider range of conditions. Preferable describes the abundant future that proactive policy and investment can build toward.