Personal Income In Louisiana Rises

Personal income in Louisiana has risen nearly 5% between 2010 and 2011. A report by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis says total personal income in Louisiana for 2011 was $176 billion.

The Bayou State now ranks 28th in the nation, up from 44th just a few years ago. LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott says the healthy increase in personal income can be traced back to the hurricanes of 2005.

Dr. Scott says the post-Katrina population is back to within a small percentage of where we were before the storms, but the population has seen a shift toward higher income workers. He says that shift has helped average personal income in the state move up sharply in a short time.

Dr. Scott says the boom in the chemical industry will add large numbers of well paid jobs in areas around Lake Charles and Baton Rouge in coming years.