BRAC produces an economic indicator dashboard as part of our business recovery priorities. The 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 begins to steady and rebound. Past dashboards are archived on brac.org/recovery.
Key takeaways from this week’s dashboard include:
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- Weekly retail and commercial/industrial vehicle fuel sales were up over-the-year, potentially due to individuals and companies purchasing in preparation for the tropical storm;
- Consumer spending is nearly identical to pre-pandemic levels in Ascension and Livingston parishes, and down only 12% in East Baton Rouge;
- Initial and continued unemployment claims continue to drop for the region, but at a relatively slow pace;
- As mobility increased in the region, hotel occupancy rose for the seventh consecutive week, and is within single-digits of 2019 occupancy rates.
If your business is interested in sponsoring BRAC’s economic indicator dashboard, contact Michelle Mahaffey at michelle.mahaffey@brac.org.