Lafourche tops state’s personal income rate

A study recently released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis within the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that Lafourche Parish has the highest average personal income rate in Louisiana, and Terrebonne Parish has the eighth highest.

The study, consisting of figures from the year 2013, notes that the average Lafourche Parish worker made $51,863 – placing Lafourche in about the top 10 percentile nationally.

That figure is up from $49,302 in 2012 and 44,446. Lafourche’s percent upgrade from 2012 to 2013 ranks second in the state. Only East Carroll’s 5.6 percent increase topped Lafourche’s 5.2 percent increase from 2012 to 2013. Lafourche is in about the top 10 percentile nationally in per capita personal income.

Lafourche Parish Administrator Archie Chaisson attributes the economic explosion to oil and gas, however he added that there are a variety of industries that have decided to do business in the parish that aren’t affiliated with oil and gas.

“We have witnessed a lot of manufacturers deciding to open up plants and facilities in south Louisiana, including Lafourche Parish,” Chaisson said in an email to The Times. “I can point to many businesses in the past few years that have found a home for themselves in Lafourche. These businesses serve as a lifeblood for many residents, and as a parish government we want to continue doing everything we can to attract these various industries to our unique area of the country.

Terrebonne doesn’t find itself

much further behind, ranking eighth in Louisiana with a 2013 average worker income of $44,197 – placing Terrebonne in about the top 25 percentile nationally.

That figure is up from $42,279 in 2012 and $38,884 in 2011. As for Terrebonne’s increase from 2012 to 2013, it ranks fourth in the state at 4.5 percent, below Tensas and, of course, Lafourche and East Carroll.

Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet attributed the parish’s high marks to its very low unemployment.

“Because of that there’s also a search for good employees and when you have good employees, you want to make sure you keep them if you can find them. We’re seeing that in the parish, and I’ve heard of other people in the parish who are losing people to the oil field and other areas who will pay higher and so consequently there’s an inflation of wages as a result of that,” he said.

Claudet added that the ranking is one more thing that he can brag about.

“If you’ve ever seen somebody who has a little kid who scores a touchdown or his daughter makes cheerleader or they come back with a good report card, I’m that kind of proud,” he said.

However, his staff will strive to improve next year.

“We need to be better than eighth and better than fourth so we need to go ahead and figure out what we’re going to do,” Claudet said.

Louisiana’s average per capita personal income in 2013 was $41,204, up 1.4 percent from the previous year.

America’s average per capita personal income in 2013 was $44,765, and its percent upgrade from 2012 to 2013 was 1.3 percent.