Unlike storm surges and hurricanes in the state's recent past, the rising tide of joblessness sweeping through coastal Louisiana is not a natural disaster. Nonetheless, the effects of this crisis are equally pervasive, and its resolution demands equally urgent attention at the state and federal levels. At Restoration and Resilience, we believe that cutting unemployment and curbing wetland loss are complementary strategies for southern Louisiana. To that end, we strongly urge framers of the impending Congressional jobs bill to include substantial grants for restoration projects in coastal Louisiana.
Nearly five years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Louisiana is “fortunate” to post a state unemployment rate, at 7.2% in December 2009, that is far lower than the national average of 9.7%. However, this statistic ignores widespread reductions in Louisiana workers’ hours, which have cut take home pay for many households. In addition, as post-Katrina federal funding runs out, there are indications that impending budget cuts at the municipal and state levels will translate into higher rates of joblessness in coastal Louisiana. Taken together, these cutbacks, along with a pronounced slowdown in post-Katrina reconstruction, have contributed to rising unemployment in southern Louisiana.
Unemployment in Louisiana’s metropolitan areas, Fall 2009 (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Despite indications that the national unemployment rate is finally falling, the rate of joblessness in Louisiana remains on the upswing. In all eight of the state’s metropolitan areas, unemployment rose by half-a-percentage point or more between November and December 2009.
Coupled with the continued erosion of Louisiana’s coastal marshes at a pace of 1-3 square miles a month, the state’s economic (and ecological) challenges demand attention from a targeted jobs program in coastal protection. While we applaud the Obama Administration for including $35.6 million for Louisiana wetland projects in the FY 2011 budget, we believe that substantially more funding is needed to implement the sort of comprehensive restoration program that will generate jobs now.
CWPPRA projects lingering in the engineering and design phase could be expedited with targeted money to supplement state funding. For example, construction of box culverts, collecting ponds, and sediment channels in the proposed Maurepas Swamp restoration could potentially generate hundreds of jobs for builders, machinery operators, and sub-contractors in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans metropolitan areas. In addition, reforestation of the estimated 36,000 acres of restored marsh could employ dozens more. Inclusion of restoration projects like Maurepas Swamp in the Build America Bonds (BABs) program could be one step towards expediting funding for wetland protection and job creation.
Jobs were the centerpiece of the President’s State of the Union address, and they have become the center plank of both Republican and Democratic campaigns in this election year. Representatives from both parties should come together to support a jobs campaign that prioritizes work in sustainable sectors like coastal restoration. This work will help to reduce the rate of joblessness in Louisiana, and bolster the state’s defenses against natural disasters for years to come.