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 findings from this week’s dashboard include:
- While overall consumer spending remains on an upward trend, small business revenue is still notably down, likely due to the high number of small businesses still closed – 14% in Ascension, 18% in East Baton Rouge, and 31% in Livingston;
- Retail fuel sales for Baton Rouge and the state had their strongest week since the pandemic began with the Capital Region showing 17% over-the-year growth and the state at 15%.
- Mobility was flat for most categories; it was down 1-2% for workplace travel in every Capital Region parish. CATS ridership also saw a notable over-the-year dip;
- Weekly total unemployment claims were down very slightly for the first time in three weeks, but the number of weekly claims has plateaued since late May;
- Hotel occupancy remains a bright spot, with occupancy nearly matching the industry’s 2019 numbers.