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Commute travel in the Baton Rouge area has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, but it may reflect the capital region’s shift toward hybrid and remote work, according to the latest Economic Indicators report from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.
Andrew Fitzgerald, BRAC’s senior vice president of business intelligence, said in a prepared statement: “This month’s data shows what could be a ‘new normal’ in terms of travel and mobility.” “While hotel occupancy is above pre-pandemic levels, and retail and leisure travel is just shy of where it was in late 2021, business travel is still down 18 percent. Most parts of people’s lives are back to where they were before Covid, but hybrid and remote work options seem sticky. It’s worth looking at how this pattern affects things like talent retention, employee benefits or business office rent.
Key findings from this month’s dashboard include:
- Over the past two years, unemployment has dropped dramatically, employment has increased, and the region’s labor force has increased modestly.
- Baton Rouge’s entertainment and hospitality sector has added 2,300 jobs over the past two months.
- Despite fears of a recession, demand for labor remains high.
- Room revenue at Capital Region Hotels increased 17 percent last year.
- The reduction in travel to workplaces may reflect national data showing that more people are working from home compared to pre-pandemic. Check out the full report from BRAC.
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