The Kathleen Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette released a new study, “A New Analysis of Industrial Job Uptake in Louisiana.”
The study, authored by Dr. Robert Habans, Dr. Stephen Barnes, and Julian Hartwell, identifies key trends in manufacturing and construction employment, describes the characteristics of workers in these industries, and explores detailed patterns of job uptake during localized industrial construction booms in select Louisiana parishes during the 2010s.
Key findings include:
Industrial growth since 2010 has translated into Louisiana jobs. Between 2010 and 2020, Louisiana’s industrial growth translated into a major surge in construction jobs, sustained growth in chemical manufacturing, and a peak and decline in petroleum refining.
Louisiana’s industrial jobs are geographically concentrated, and the 2010s industrial construction boom was even more concentrated.
During local construction booms, a large portion of net new jobs were linked to residents outside the region where the job was located.
While many industrial jobs are also filled by local workers in nearby parishes or counties, these workers do not always reside in the same parish where the job is located.
Regarding demographics, the study finds that the industrial workforce is predominantly male and disproportionately White, especially in higher-paying chemical manufacturing and petroleum refining roles. Hispanic workers are overrepresented in construction, while Black workers are underrepresented in both construction and manufacturing.
Many construction and manufacturing jobs are accessible with a high school diploma or technical training. Higher credentials are more common in refining and chemicals, where specialized, technical, and management roles often require an associate or bachelor’s degree, though most frontline jobs remain accessible without one.
Despite strong wages overall (about $100,000 median in refining and chemicals), median earnings of Black workers are about two-thirds the median earnings of White workers, reflecting both a credential gap and occupational sorting into lower-paying roles.
For more information and the full study, visit blancocenter.louisiana.edu/research.
