Louisiana | Economic Development Report
TerraMetrics
May 9, 2026
Total Employment
200.0K
Resilience Score
82/100
Diversification
98/100
Net Impact (Probable)
+4.7K
Water Institute of the Gulf HQ (coastal resilience)
Energy sector (8%) creates both ecological footprint and transition-risk exposure.
Metro jurisdiction -- larger government apparatus with more regulatory complexity.
Economic Vitality: stable -- adequate governance but limited capacity for bold policy moves.
Median household income $55K (0% vs state median) -- near the state median.
Unemployment 4.5% with 225,000 total employed. Poverty rate 19%.
AI Exposure Index: 62/100 -- moderate vulnerability to AI-driven workforce disruption.
Highest risk sector: State government administration (routine processing, document handling)
34% bachelor's+ attainment -- above-average workforce readiness for knowledge-economy transition.
88% high school+ completion rate -- adequate base but gaps remain in advanced skills.
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.
19% poverty rate strains community cohesion and institutional trust.
Population losing (-0.8% since 2020) -- gradual outflow erodes institutional support.
Government sector (18% of employment) -- federal CBDC rollout would first affect benefits distribution and government payroll here.
19% poverty rate means a larger unbanked/underbanked population. CBDC could improve financial access -- or create new surveillance concerns.
Research institutions (Louisiana State University) provide local quantum/STEM workforce pipeline, though direct quantum compute facilities are rare outside major metro areas.
34% bachelor's+ rate provides a STEM-capable workforce base for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) migration.
Signature: Industrial Construction & Engineering - Turner Industries, Performance Contractors HQ. 44,839 construction employees dispatched across Gulf Coast. ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery.
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.
Attract remote-first tech companies and satellite offices by promoting quality of life, lower costs, and existing professional workforce.
Position construction workforce for the modular housing revolution where AI designs and factories produce housing components.
Leverage existing healthcare employment density to attract AI health startups, clinical trial operations, and telehealth infrastructure.
Under the probable future, this county's strongest opportunity is healthcare workforce pipeline (feasibility: 82/100). The economic outlook is net positive with 4,680 potential new positions. Additionally, technology & remote work hub scores 82/100 feasibility.
State of Louisiana (government)
LSU and LSU Health Sciences Center
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery
IBM (services center)
Southern University and A&M
Turner Industries (industrial services)
Baton Rouge General Medical Center
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Steel $5.8B ultra-low-carbon steel mill | $5.8B | 5,400 | 2025 |
| CF Industries/Jera/Mitsui $4B ammonia facility | $4B | - | 2025 |
| Shintech $3.4B manufacturing expansion | $3.4B | - | 2025 |
| Amazon BTR1 1000+ jobs | - | 1,000 | 2024 |
| Priority | Dimension | Action | Impact | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| critical | Social Trust | Pre-Positioned Displaced Worker Rapid Response | +4 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Convert AI Vulnerability into First-Mover Advantage | +6 | local |
| high | Economic Disruption | Reduce Government (state capital) Concentration Risk | +5 | local |
| high | Social Trust | Targeted Poverty Reduction in Highest-Need Areas | +5 | local |
| high | Economic Disruption | Mitigate Hyundai Steel $5.8B ultra-low-carbon steel mill Concentration Risk | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Pre-emptive Reskilling Pipeline: State government administration | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Sector-Aligned K-12 + Community College Pipeline | +5 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Leverage Broadband Advantage for AI Sector Growth | +4 | local |
| high | Education Value | Registered Apprenticeship Expansion: Healthcare & Social | +4 | local |
| medium | Ecological Stress | Climate Resilience Infrastructure Investment | +4 | local |
| medium | Education Value | Sector-Pivot Scholarship Voucher | +3 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Petrochemical AI Optimization Hub | +7 | local |
| medium | Political Risk | State Capital GovTech Innovation Cluster | +5 | local |
Total Impact
+62 pts
13 actions
Local Control
100%
13 of 13 actions
Critical Actions
1
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: East Baton Rouge Parish. BEA: Baton Rouge MSA GDP. Baton Rouge Area Chamber.
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.