Abstract
Between mayoral elections and the opening of the Jazz and Heritage Festival, New Orleans was bustling with both returning residents and tourists in April, reflected by increased demand for utilities, along with new openings in schools, food establishments, and in the hospitality industry. Contrary to these hopeful trends, though, there are now more homes for sale in the city than at any other time since we began tracking this indicator in October, and Louisiana's labor force continues to shrink. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate of workers still displaced by Katrina jumped to nearly 35 percent, a 54 percent increase over the preceding month.