About 80 miles up the Mississippi River from New Orleans, Baton Rouge is the state capital, a petrochemical and manufacturing hub and home to Louisiana State University's flagship campus. If New Orleans is the state's vivacious, sometimes tipsy daughter, then Baton Rouge is its workhorse.
The city's industrial, medical and public-sector focus served Baton Rouge well during the recession. Unemployment averaged 7.4% in 2010, its highest point during the downturn and a far cry from the average 9.6% unemployment rate the nation suffered that year.
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As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
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