New Orleans highly ranked in knowledge jobs

New Orleans is near the top of another good list. This time, it"s No. 2 in knowledge industries" growth.

Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI) has gathered data on knowledge jobs — and Greater New Orleans Inc., a regional economic development organization, has analyzed it. Their findings: Greater New Orleans ranks second only to Austin, Texas, in growth of knowledge jobs from 2007–2015.

Knowledge jobs in Greater New Orleans increased by 37 percent during the eight-year period. By comparison, the national increase was 23 percent. (In Austin, such jobs increased by 52 percent.)

In reaction to the latest ranking, Tulane President Mike Fitts said, “Creativity is intrinsic to New Orleans, so it"s no surprise knowledge jobs are rising.

“At Tulane, we power this trend by supplying a large segment of the city"s college graduates and pursuing many efforts, such as growing our computer science program, which are geared toward the new economy.

“In the years ahead we hope to redouble these efforts. We"re harnessing our own creative and interdisciplinary strengths to propel innovations and advance both the university and the city.”

Engineering and industrial design services along with environmental consulting services employ the largest number of people (more than 7,500) in the “information”— another tag for knowledge — sector of the New Orleans economy.

And there are more than 1,200 jobs in scientific and technical consulting, research and development in the physical, engineering and life sciences along with biotechnology research and development.

Perhaps not surprisingly due to the Hollywood South effect, New Orleans saw a 61 percent growth in motion picture and video production jobs and a 350 percent increase in jobs in teleproduction and other postproduction services from 2007 to 2015.

But software publishers (101 percent increase) and Internet publishing and broadcasting and Web search portals (104 percent increase) not associated with the glamorous film industry also added a hefty number of jobs.