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August 13, 2010

ULM’s CBER releases fifth annual “Factbook”

For the fifth year in a row, the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Louisiana at Monroe has released its annual “Factbook,” a breakdown of leading economic indicators at the regional, parish, state and national level.

The 2010 Factbook is a comprehensive compendium of local and regional information broken down into four sections, including demographics; labor force data; business climate information; and quality of life measures. Wherever possible, parish, regional, state and national averages are included over a five-year period for comparison purposes, according to CBER Director and ULM Professor Robert Eisenstadt.

“As always, we make every effort to obtain and publish the most current data available prior to printing,” he said.

“Since the 2010 edition includes annual averages for 2009, this newest publication provides a snapshot of the relative effect of the national recession on our local, regional, and state economy. Differences are especially apparent in our local and state employment figures. Unemployment in Louisiana and the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area, though significantly elevated from two years ago, are still not as dire as many other places across the country and the United States in general.”

The Factbook is an outgrowth of discussions between Eisenstadt, ULM's College of Business Administration Dean Ronald Berry, and several community leaders, all who offered suggestions for providing assistance to local economic development interests. The print edition of the book highlights key findings, while a more in-depth version is available online as a PDF document.

"The Center for Business and Economic Research is proud to act as an impartial arbiter of economic analysis for our region and, to the extent possible, provide assistance to the many agents of change in our region who work to move our Northeast Louisiana community forward," said Eisenstadt.

To read the online version of the book, visit www.ulm.edu/cber. A limited number of copies of the print edition are available upon request.

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