A report by the Federal Reserve on economic conditions for a region that includes south Louisiana says activity is “mixed,” with improved retail and home sales. The Fed’s Atlanta Region, which covers south Louisiana, all of Georgia, Alabama and Florida and parts of Mississippi and Tennessee, says auto dealers reported “dismal” sales and transportation companies were seeing weak freight demand. Commercial real estate activity was slowing down in the region, but so was the pace of layoffs. Home sales rose from a year ago, with government aid helping to drive sales at the low end of the market, but potential buyers had trouble qualifying for loans.
Things were a bit better for the Fed’s Dallas region, which includes North Louisiana, all of Texas and most of New Mexico. High-tech, paper, petrochemicals and food manufacturers say demand grew. Retailers saw signs of stabilization and home sales picked up.
