BRAC’s Economic Indicator Dashboard examines and assesses the impact of COVID-19 on the regional economy, taking into account a number of data points to illustrate the economy’s current state, and to keep businesses informed as it rebounds. Past dashboards are archived on brac.org/recovery.
Key findings from this week’s dashboard include:
- Weekly unemployment claims fell to their lowest since the week ending March 14th, the last week before the statewide stay-at-home order;
- Consumer spending is well above pre-pandemic levels in Ascension and Livingston, while it’s hovering around January levels for East Baton Rouge, showing consumer confidence is still relatively strong;
- Hotel occupancy has dipped over-the-year in recent weeks, likely due in part to travel advisories urging people to stay in their home towns for Thanksgiving;
- Mobility within the community rebounded after being down for the week of Thanksgiving, as residents returned to work, grocery shopping, and other activities.