Louisiana: The Perceptions

Trelvin Byrd

Ms. Hellinger

English 102

March 18, 2014

Louisiana: The Perceptions

The reason why national businesses hesitate to locate in Louisiana is because of the number of college educated workers and the high crime rate. These reasons prevent existing businesses and new businesses from opening new locations to the metropolitan areas where most of Louisiana's business exist.

No business wants their employees to have to quit because of imprisonment or hire persons with misdemeanors or felonies on their record. Higher education improves people’s lives, makes the state economy more efficient, and contributes to a more equitable society. A state with an above average college education percentage provides an image that that state has mostly people who are committed to success. Businesses need college educated workers because they provide a image for the business that is young and professional.

According to the Census Bureau, Louisiana's number of college educated workers include: high school graduates and graduates with an bachelors degree or higher from the years 2008-2012. The percentage of high school graduates in Louisiana is 82.2 percent which is 3.2 percent below the national average. The percentage of graduates with a bachelors degree or higher is 21.4 percent which is 7.1 percent below the national average. Businesses look for locations that can hire the best educated and skilled workers.

When deciding a location, businesses does not want profit losses, they do want workers that provide excellent customer service, and workers who provide excellent quality, productivity, and efficiency in order for a word-of-mouth customer gain. Businesses need educated workers to count the correct change given back to the customer, money handling, and bookkeeping to prevent profit loss. Businesses need employees who are educated in public relations to provide excellent customer service and who are young driven workers for success.

Furthermore, national businesses hesitate to locate in Louisiana because of the crime rate by the state. In 2012, states with the highest imprisonment rates included Louisiana (893 per 100,000 state residents), Mississippi (717 per 100,000 state residents), Alabama (650 per 100,000 state residents), Oklahoma (648 per 100,000 state residents), and Texas (601 per 100,000 state residents). Louisiana and the federal prison system had increases of more than 1,000 prisoners in 2012.

 According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Louisiana has a 3.9 percent of persons under jurisdiction in years 2011-2012 which is ranked 4th worst amongst 50 other states. Employees who can stay out of trouble and maintain an long-term employment with a business creates a successful business; customers that are use to interacting with long-term employees stays a customer to that business because this situation makes the customer feel at-home.