SWLA Has The Largest 5 Year Employment Rate In The USA

A recent study by USA Today shows the Lake Area having the highest employment growth rate in the nation!

It shows that the area has seen a 28.3% jump in employment in the past 5 years.  I know everyone is thinking that the majority of those jobs are chemical plant industry jobs, but the USA Today report shows something very different.

The top 3 jobs pointed out by the study are mining, logging, and construction.  Mining?  Where is there a mine in SWLA?

Anyways, I'm not going to gloss over the fact that these jobs are made possible by the many expansion projects going on at the plants right now.  Yes, traffic may be a hassle lately and for a few years to come, but it's great seeing local people get back to work!

I guess the lingering question is what happens when all the projects are finished and all the non-local workers leave?

Of the 9 areas in Louisiana that are considered "metro", the Lake Area is the only one with an unemployment rate below 5%!  That's fantastic!  In fact our unemployment is 4.2%.

Another interesting nugget from the report was that the median household income in Lake Charles is $52, 314.