GBRIA Forecast Highlights Accelerating Labor Demand and Wage Pressure

The Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance's (GBRIA) bi-annual labor forecast shows significant growth in industrial construction demand along the entire Gulf Coast and in southern Louisiana among other key trends. 

“Industrial construction continues to be a major driver of local economic opportunity,” said Connie Fabre, President and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance. “This projected growth underscores the importance of upskilling our workforce to meet industry demand and sustain the economic benefit of these projects for Louisianans.” 

The September 17, 2026, report forecasts skilled craft labor supply and demand across Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lake Charles and the wider Gulf Coast through 2029. Industrial construction demand in the Baton Rouge region is projected to grow from about 25,000 workers today to nearly 35,000 by the first quarter of 2028. The full report covers each craft, quarter, wage trend and megaproject. 

 Other key trends identified in GBRIA’s labor forecast report include: 

• Labor demand is climbing fast as industrial projects ramp up. Industrial craft demand in the Baton Rouge region is projected to grow 40% between Q4 2026 and Q4 2027.  The crafts in highest demand include electricians, pipefitters and combo welders, painters, insulators, concrete finishers and millwrights. 

• Wage growth is set to accelerate. After uneven gains in 2025, Baton Rouge base wages are projected to rise 4 to 5% annually, and the crafts with the most pressure being the electrical crafts, pipefitters/combo welders, instrumentation techs and millwrights. 

• Competition is shifting toward Lake Charles. With Louisiana and Texas wages now at near parity, the Lake Charles area's $123 billion in projected spending puts it in direct competition with the GBRIA region's $134 billion for the same workers during the same quarters. 

• Availability remains tight. Construction unemployment has fallen to 3.1%, below the overall rate of 4.3%, and 27% of Louisiana's industrial craft workforce is expected to retire within five years. 

• Specialty crafts face the steepest gaps. Across the Gulf Coast, projected peak demand for insulators and millwrights is more than 10 times the resident supply, with large shortfalls also expected for pipefitters, carpenters and electricians. 

• Industrial spending drives the peak. Chemical, natural gas and refining projects account for most of the region's demand, which peaks in Q2 2028, while $35.6 billion in announced data center projects statewide signals more competition ahead.  

GBRIA’s report provides insight into the region’s evolving construction labor market, helping the construction industry more effectively recognize, plan for, and avoid project labor risk. 

About Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance (GBRIA) 

For more than 55 years, the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance has united industry leaders, contractors, and suppliers to develop solutions to shared challenges.  

GBRIA comprises approximately 80 petrochemical, pharmaceutical, storage terminals and other industrial facilities around the Greater Baton Rouge and New Orleans regions.