Develop and disseminate essential state and local labor market information (LMI) for a range of customer groups: 1) job seekers 2) businesses employers 3) workforce and labor market intermediaries…

Louisiana Works, operating under the Louisiana Workforce Commission, received a formula grant of $478,925 from the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) under the Employment Service/Wagner-Peyser Funded Activities program (CFDA 17.207) for the period July 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028. The grant supports the development and dissemination of essential state and local labor market information (LMI) to serve seven distinct customer groups: job seekers, business employers, workforce intermediaries (including American Job Center staff and career counselors), program planners at educational and community-based organizations, policymakers including state and local workforce development boards, economic development partners, and other users including workforce grant recipients, researchers, and media organizations.

Under this award, Louisiana Works must populate and maintain a workforce information database, produce employment projections and a statewide economic analysis report, and ensure adequate staff training. The grant emphasizes delivering accurate, actionable information and resources that enable informed decisions regarding employment, careers, education, training, and career pathways leading to rapid reemployment and worker advancement. While two public products are required, grantees have discretion to produce additional reports and data in alternative formats. Expected outcomes include providing LMI users—including job seekers, employers, American Job Center staff, workforce boards, policymakers, students, and labor market analysts—with sufficient information to make informed decisions regarding employment and career development.

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to develop and disseminate essential state and local labor market information (LMI) for a range of customer groups: 1) job seekers 2) businesses employers 3) workforce and labor market intermediaries such as employment, school, and career counselors, and case managers at american job centers, who help individuals find a job or make career decisions, or engage businesses seeking skilled workers 4) program and service planners at educational institutions and community-based organizations 5) policy makers, including state and local workforce development boards 6) partners, such as economic development entities and human resource professionals and 7) other customers, including recipients of workforce development grants, researchers, commercial data providers, and the media.

Activities

Grantees must populate and maintain a workforce information database, produce two types of public products (employment projections and a statewide economic analysis report), and ensure LMI staff are adequately trained. ETA also encourages grantees to produce other reports and data in addition to those required. Grantees have wide discretion in both the topics and presentation format. These reports should include accurate data, actionable information, and resources that enable data users to make informed decisions about the reemployment, work-based learning, training, and career pathways strategies that lead to rapid reemployment and worker advancement along a continuum of high-demand and higher wage jobs.

Expected outcomes

By performing these duties users of LMI will have sufficient information to make informed decisions regarding employment, careers, education, and training.

Intended beneficiaries

Job seekers, employers, staff in american job centers, state and local workforce boards, national state local policy makers, students, academic researchers, labor market analysts, and other users of LMI.

Subrecipient activities

A state may use wigs funding to work with a subrecipient to conduct a study or research an LMI topic when a state LMI office does not have sufficient staffing or knowledge to conduct the work themselves.