A a new labor forecast from the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance predicts the demand for skilled laborers will soon jump some 40 percent in the Baton Rouge region. The forecast projects that the region’s demand for industrial construction workers will climb from roughly 25,000 today to nearly 35,000 by Q1 2028. Chemical, natural gas and refining projects account for most of the expected labor needs, with regional demand expected to peak in Q2 2028.
“Industrial construction continues to be a major driver of local economic opportunity,” GBRIA President and CEO Connie Fabre said in a statement. “This projected growth underscores the importance of upskilling our workforce to meet industry demand and sustain the economic benefit of these projects for Louisianans.”
Other notable takeaways from the forecast:
- Base wages for industrial construction workers in the Baton Rouge area are projected to increase 4% to 5% over the next year. Combo welders, concrete finishers, electricians, insulators, millwrights, painters and pipefitters are among the crafts in highest demand.
- Lake Charles is emerging as a major competitor for talent. Its $123 billion in projected industrial spending will compete with Baton Rouge’s $134 billion for the same pool of skilled workers.
- The labor pool is already tight. Construction unemployment in Louisiana has fallen to 3.1%, compared with Louisiana’s overall unemployment rate of 4.3%. Twenty-seven percent of the state’s industrial craft workforce is expected to retire within five years.
- Some crafts face especially pronounced shortages. Across the Gulf Coast, peak demand for insulators and millwrights is projected to exceed the available resident workforce by more than tenfold. Carpenters, pipefitters and electricians also face substantial gaps.
GBRIA comprises more than 80 industrial facilities in and around the Baton Rouge and New Orleans metros.
The labor forecast comes after the Baton Rouge metro posted the highest construction employment growth rate of all 360 metros in the U.S. over the past year, with employment rising 22% between June 2025 and June 2026. Its construction workforce reached 57,400 in June 2026, up from 47,200 a year earlier.
