Judy,

It seems to be a combination of events.  Lots of people relocated, but also lots and lots of homes and businesses destroyed that are now being rebuilt creating a huge boom in construction. 

Many of the professionals who relocated (i.e. doctors, lawyers, engineers) stayed in Louisiana but moved to other communities.  New hospitals and businesses (along with homes and apartments) are being built in these new communities to accomodate the influx of citizens that are deciding to stay in their new areas.  The state is offering tax incentives to business to do so.

Also, with the price of oil being what it is our oil field is booming, and so are the multitude of service companies springing up to sell them what they need.  Both construction and oilfield jobs will hire and train their own labor and pay good starting wages.  Oilfield has great benefits to go along with the pay.  Both booming at once seems to be a bit more than our work force can accomodate.

With our economy so intertwined with oil (although we have diversified quite a bit since the "crash" in the 1980's) we seem to be on an opposite swing with the rest of the country in many ways.

Debbie Thibodeaux

TENSTAR Corporation