A study ranks Lafayette among Nation's fastest growing cities. "If you're looking for a job, Lafayette, Louisiana is the place to go," said Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel.
According to an article in CNN Money, a recent study from IHS Global Insight says employment in Lafayette is expected to soar 8.8 percent this year. That same study shows the economy as a whole growing by 7.5 percent. "When you have things like CNN Money and Bloomberg talking about you people see that," said Durel.
City-Parish President Joey Durel hopes the good press will continue to attract job creators and job seekers. "It's difficult to get people to wanna come to Louisiana from other states, but when they get there they fall in love with it."
The study credits the booming oil and gas industry for the growth, but Durel says the city's emphasis on technology, like fiber to the home and improving quality of life with projects like turning the horse farm into a park plays a major role too. "It's what we do everyday, it's what we're trying to do to make this community a place where businesses want to locate," according to Durel
So where do we go from here? Durel says Lafayette won't rest on its laurels and will continue to aim high.