News Analysis Attitude influences progress

Numbers and charts might offer one picture, but when it comes to defining business progress much still depends on public perception. Statistics can give a guideline, but it is what one does with those figures that make a difference.

Last month, the Louisiana Department of Economic Development boasted that Louisiana’s business climate received its highest placement ever from Site Selection Magazine’s annual list of the 2010 Top Business Climate Rankings in the U.S.

For the Bayou State it meant moving up from No. 25 to No. 9, and in addition to breaking into the top 10 listing it did show marked improvement for an area that has suffered its share of hits from hurricanes to oil spills to moratoriums that strained the economy during the past five years.

“Our dramatically improved ranking is in large part the result of recent economic competitiveness improvements in Louisiana, such as business tax cuts, governmental ethics reform, the creation of Louisiana FastStart and our focus on business retention and expansion, as well as our enhanced focus on small business development,” Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret said.

While businesses that boosted production, increased sales and added employees certainly deserve credit for what they did in helping secure that state placement, ninth place for an area hammered with hardship to its primary industries of oil and gas production and commercial fishing during the past seven months seems a bit shallow n with plenty of room to grow.

The improvement from 25 to 9 is certainly worth taking note of and offering credit for, yet the significance of this placement for a working family trying to pay a mortgage and feed themselves means about as much as remembering who it was that lost the Super Bowl III.

On Nov. 3, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employment levels in Louisiana saw some shifting as well. Six of the seven parishes with the highest populations experienced a drop in employment between March 2009 and March 2010.

When looking at the statistics it is noticed that employment for the year under consideration fell 2.1 percent n in other words unemployment is at about 9.6 percent.

For Louisiana, the seven most populated parishes accounted for 56.2 percent of the state’s employment n which makes sense in that where there are more people there tend to be a higher number of jobs.

It was specifically noted how the BLS focused on employment rather than unemployment figures that have been reported in the past, causing those without work to become just a statistic twisted to make things look better than they are for political purposes.

Last week, Terrebonne Economic Development Authority CEO Mike Ferdinand released charts that propose business leaders take a look at global marketing as part of a strategic plan.

This effort would include TEDA members visiting other cities in an effort to bring business back home and would invite industry leaders from other locations to south Louisiana for a personal look into what the region has to offer.

Targeted marketing, networking and providing material in other languages are listed as elements that could prompt corporations from other countries to do business in the bayou.

But the benefits of international trade and a global market mean little as long as companies are importing crews from other states and countries to work jobs locally in such areas as construction or coastline maintenance, while local tradesmen are left un-hired because they require a living wage.

Business is business and how it looks can depend a lot on if ones personal accounts are up to standard or not, and what plans are being made to improve one’s position.

By the way, the losers of Super Bowl III were the Baltimore Colts. It was the first of two losses the Colts experienced in the big game out of their four appearances. The second one came earlier this year when they were defeated by the New Orleans Saints n another area where Louisiana made progress.