NOLA bound: Sicona Battery Technologies, an Australian developer of next-generation battery materials for lithium-ion batteries, is investing $10.3 million to establish its first U.S. facility and headquarters in New Orleans East. The company is expected to create 32 direct new jobs with an average salary of $101,500, which is 50% above the average Orleans Parish wage. The investment builds on Sicona’s acquisition of local battery materials company Advano. Operations are expected to begin in mid-September. Read more from Louisiana Economic Development.
Claims keep falling: Louisiana’s continued unemployment claims fell 31% year over year to 6,439 for the week ending Sept. 5, down from 9,318 a year earlier and 6,730 the prior week. Initial claims edged up to 1,316 from 1,311 the previous week but remained 3% below the same week last year, while the four-week averages for both initial and continued claims also declined. Louisiana Works said seasonal fluctuations are normal and that unemployment claims remain near historic lows, signaling continued strength in the state’s labor market. The Center Square has the full story.
Paychecks catch up: U.S. median household income rose 2.6% in inflation-adjusted terms in 2025 to a record $87,460, finally surpassing the pre-pandemic level of $85,320 in 2019. Despite the increase, household income has grown just 2.5% since 2019, far slower than the 19% increase from 2013 to 2019, highlighting the lingering impact of inflation on purchasing power. Women’s incomes rose 3.2%, narrowing the gender pay gap, while income inequality remained high as the top 10% earned more than 13 times the income of the bottom 10%. The Associated Press has the full story.
Insurance shakeup
