BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — U.S. home sales skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic - hitting a 15-year high of 6.1 million in 2021. The spike in demand, coupled with declining inventory, have put upward pressure on housing prices. Renters…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Legislation to exclude wind and solar farms from a Louisiana tax exemption program drew pushback from lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee this week, forcing the bill’s author to voluntarily defer the…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Gas prices are hovering near all-time highs in the United States. The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $4.24 as of March 23 - up 70 cents from a month…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — The economic fallout that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic put millions of Americans out of work. Without a steady source of income, many were unable to pay for basic necessities, like shelter. To address…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) – Louisiana House Speaker Pro Tempore Tanner Magee is calling for a limited constitutional convention to amend language regarding tax structure, dedicated revenues and fiscal restraints on local governments. Magee, R-Houma, filed House Bill 259…
BATON ROUGE — Small businesses are an economic pillar in the United States. Businesses with fewer than 500 employees account for two-thirds of net new jobs in the U.S. and generate 44% of economic activity nationwide, according to the U.S.…
BATON ROUGE — The consumer price index surged by 7% in December of 2021, the fastest rate in four decades. Surging inflation is a troubling development for the millions of American retirees relying on fixed incomes and those whose savings…
BATON ROUGE — The COVID-19 pandemic sent the U.S. unemployment rate up to a post Great Depression high of 14.7% in April 2020. Though the jobless rate has since fallen back below 4%, the U.S. job market is far from…
BATON ROUGE — From the Center Square: The COVID-19 pandemic sent the U.S. unemployment rate up to a post Great Depression high of 14.7% in April 2020. Though the jobless rate has since fallen back below 4%, the U.S. job…
BATON ROUGE — From the Center Square: Homelessness is on the rise in the United States. According to a study published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the number of Americans experiencing homelessness has grown each year since 2015.…
BATON ROUGE — With many Americans working from home now, far fewer commuters get behind the wheel every day compared to before the pandemic. Still, travel has picked up considerably over the last year. And gas prices have followed suit.…
BATON ROUGE — There are over 170 different fields of study tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau in which undergraduate students can earn a degree. Despite the wide range of academic subjects offered at colleges and universities, over half of…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana lawmakers are expected to have about $1.6 billion more in revenue to spend in upcoming budget cycles than previously projected, according to predictions from economists at a Revenue Estimating Conference. Ben Vincent, chief economist at the…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana has launched a new $146 million program designed to help homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Fund will provide up to $25,000…
BATON ROUGE — A 2019 report from the Federal Reserve found that nearly one in every four American adults have no retirement savings. During the economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, that share has likely grown. Despite stimulus…
BATON ROUGE — At the height of COVID-19 pandemic, the nation's unemployment rate soared to 15%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The fallout on American workers was immediate as many lost their paychecks or saw their wages plummet overnight.…
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana has long been a leading state in energy production. Our state is blessed with the energy resources that power portions of the United States and the rest of the world. While the oil and gas industry…
HAMMOND — The U.S. population growth rate hit its lowest level since the Great Depression, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Over the past decade, the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic slowed immigration as well as caused many Americans to…
BATON ROUGE – Louisianans could enshrine an income tax cut in the state constitution Saturday, as voters in all 64 parishes will consider four ballot amendments dealing with tax and budget issues. A proposal known as Amendment 2 offers to…
BATON ROUGE – Ascension Parish Public Schools Superintendent David Alexander believes an 80% property tax abatement for CF Industries’ proposed “green ammonia” nitrogen complex in Donaldsonville would lead to economic growth. CF Industries produces fertilizer and said it is decarbonizing…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry is spearheading an effort to reform Louisiana’s judicial system, saying it lacks transparency and operates under costly, outdated rules. LABI represents more than 2,000 Louisiana employers and serves as the…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Health announced Wednesday all COVID-19 vaccine providers for children can begin administering the Pfizer pediatric vaccine immediately. The announcement followed a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel’s final recommendation Tuesday. The…
BATON ROUGE — Record numbers of Americans have quit their jobs in recent months. In what has been dubbed "The Great Resignation," one-in-four U.S. workers left their job in 2021. Much of the exodus is being driven by employee burnout,…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana state employees charged $863 million to Purchase and Travel Card programs over a five-year period that included $147 million in 2020, a year marked by COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. The Louisiana legislative auditor published a review of…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana does not index major tax components to inflation, and the result is a “stealth tax” on state residents, a new study suggests. The finding comes from the Tax Foundation, a Washington-based research nonprofit. In the study,…
BATON ROUGE – The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan bill that would allow unspent American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to be used for natural disaster recovery and infrastructure needs, which could have an impact on Louisiana. The ARPA was…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced a $4.5 billion clean energy commitment Thursday from industrial gas manufacturer Air Products. The company pledged the investment to build “the world’s largest permanent carbon dioxide sequestration endeavor to date,” and…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s two U.S. senators are raising concerns about a provision in the proposed $3.5 trillion congressional budget reconciliation bill that would allot billions in direct government loans to small businesses. U.S. Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy,…
NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana has a $1 billion budget surplus and another $1 billion in remaining American Rescue Plan funds, said Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, who also is “optimistic” about the state’s financial outlook for next year. Dardenne is…
BATON ROUGE – A new report from the Louisiana legislative auditor cites more than $52 million in questioned costs from the state’s main disaster recovery agency. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) coordinates state efforts relating…
