Louisiana | Economic Development Report
TerraMetrics
May 9, 2026
Total Employment
115.0K
Resilience Score
78/100
Diversification
99/100
Net Impact (Probable)
+959
Ecological stress score 73/100 driven by regional climate patterns and resource dependencies.
Energy sector (18%) creates both ecological footprint and transition-risk exposure.
Median household income $52K (-5.5% vs state median) -- near the state median.
Unemployment 4.8% with 118,000 total employed. Poverty rate 17%.
Metro jurisdiction -- larger government apparatus with more regulatory complexity.
Economic Vitality: stable -- adequate governance but limited capacity for bold policy moves.
AI Exposure Index: 58/100 -- moderate vulnerability to AI-driven workforce disruption.
Highest risk sector: Oil field services (automated drilling, AI-optimized extraction)
28% bachelor's+ attainment is 5 points below the national average (33%).
86% 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 $52K -- moderate crypto adoption potential aligned with national trends.
17% poverty rate strains community cohesion and institutional trust.
Population stable (+0.3% since 2020) -- community base is steady.
17% poverty rate means a larger unbanked/underbanked population. CBDC could improve financial access -- or create new surveillance concerns.
Retail/hospitality sector (9%) would be early adopters of CBDC point-of-sale infrastructure.
Research institutions (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) provide local quantum/STEM workforce pipeline, though direct quantum compute facilities are rare outside major metro areas.
28% bachelor's+ rate limits local STEM talent pool -- PQC migration will depend on external expertise.
Signature: Oil & Gas Services - 237 O&G establishments, $102K avg wage. Halliburton, Schlumberger, PHX Minerals. Hub for Gulf of Mexico services.
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.
Leverage existing healthcare employment density to attract AI health startups, clinical trial operations, and telehealth infrastructure.
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.
Under the probable future, this county's strongest opportunity is healthcare workforce pipeline (feasibility: 82/100). The economic outlook is net positive with 959 potential new positions. Additionally, ai healthcare innovation cluster scores 75/100 feasibility.
CGI Group (IT/consulting)
Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center
Lafayette General Medical Center
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Perficient (digital consultancy)
PHI Aviation (helicopter services)
SchoolMint (EdTech)
LEDA member companies (energy services cluster)
| Company | Date | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halliburton | 2020-04-01 | 220 | layoff |
| Schlumberger (SLB) | 2020-05-15 | 150 | layoff |
| PHI Inc. | 2020-06-01 | 130 | layoff |
| Baker Hughes | 2020-04-20 | 85 | layoff |
| Stuller Inc. | 2020-03-25 | 110 | layoff |
| Superior Energy Services | 2020-10-15 | 75 | layoff |
| Waitr Holdings | 2020-07-01 | 90 | layoff |
| CGG | 2020-06-15 | 60 | layoff |
| Oceaneering International | 2020-05-01 | 65 | layoff |
| Waitr Holdings | 2021-03-01 | 60 | layoff |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMR Technologies $1.4M 521 direct jobs at $85K avg | $1.4M | 521 | 2025 |
| Drone Institute $340K expansion 610 jobs | $340K | 610 | 2025 |
| Blueflite medical drone logistics | - | - | 2025 |
| MMR Group $55.2M expansion | $55.2M | - | 2025 |
| Priority | Dimension | Action | Impact | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Economic Disruption | Reduce Energy Services Concentration Risk | +5 | local |
| high | Social Trust | Targeted Poverty Reduction in Highest-Need Areas | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Pre-emptive Reskilling Pipeline: Oil field services | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Sector-Aligned K-12 + Community College Pipeline | +5 | local |
| high | Education Value | Registered Apprenticeship Expansion: Energy Services | +4 | local |
| high | Social Trust | Pre-Positioned Displaced Worker Rapid Response | +4 | local |
| high | AI > AGI > ASI | Universal Broadband for AI Economy Participation | +1 | federal |
| medium | Ecological Stress | Climate Resilience Infrastructure Investment | +4 | local |
| medium | Education Value | Sector-Pivot Scholarship Voucher | +3 | local |
| high | Economic Disruption | Scale the Unmanned Systems Cluster | +8 | local |
| high | Economic Disruption | Evangeline Corridor AI Innovation District | +7 | local |
| critical | Education Value | LED FastStart AI Workforce Program | +7 | state |
Total Impact
+70 pts
14 actions
Local Control
86%
12 of 14 actions
Critical Actions
2
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: Lafayette Parish. BEA: Lafayette MSA GDP. Lafayette Economic Development Authority.
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.