Governor Edwards Proud Of Economic Growth In 2017
Governor John Bel Edwards says he’s proud of the growth in the state’s economy over the last year. Unemployment is down, and two sectors, healthcare and construction saw record levels of employment. Edwards says the state’s economic recovery under his first two years has been strong.
"Louisiana has the lowest employment that we've seen since may of 2008, which is 4.8%, almost a full percentage point lower than when I became governor, " Edwards said.
Because the governor expanded the Medicaid program, there’s been a huge increase in individuals receiving government-sponsored health care. But the governor says it’s his goal to get more people employed and covered under an employer sponsored health care plan.
"I've often said and always believe that the best social program is a job."
The state has seen growth in many large metro areas, including an agreement with DXC technology for a two thousand person facility in New Orleans, but the governor acknowledged that other regions of Louisiana are still facing sluggish growth.
"We know that there are other sectors of our economy and geographic regions that are not doing as well so we certainly are not saying mission accomplished, we've got a long ways to go."
The governor credited the growth to a reinvestment in higher education.
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