By the Numbers Aug/Sept 2010

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Louisiana’s ranking in Businessweek.com’s listing of laziest states. Using five years of data (2004 to 2008) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the report, published in August, makes it clear that “lazy” doesn’t mean lacking work ethic or engagement, but is more a measure of sedentary leisure time versus exercising. The CDC’s research shows that nearly 30 percent of Bayou State residents do not get any exercise — and that our sedentary lifestyle coupled with our delicious food is taking its toll.

Fast Facts:
A 2008 Centers for Disease Control report noted that the overall fatality rate for workers in the oil and gas extraction industry was “approximately seven times the rate for all workers” between 2003 and 2006, with many deaths caused by accidents involving machinery and pipes and overexertion.

1,298
Number of accidents reported on rigs and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, according to statistics from the Bureau of Ocean Energy (formerly the Minerals Management Service). There were also 30 deaths. The accident statistics are significantly higher than in the five years before 2006, when a new definition of “accident” went into effect. In the five years before 2006, MMS logged a total of 252 gulf accidents and 30 deaths.  Source: The Washington Post

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Percent of additional fourth graders who passed the LEAP test and were promoted to fifth grade after summer retesting. In the spring, 77 percent of fourth graders passed the test.

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Percent of additional eighth graders who passed the LEAP test and were promoted to high school after summer retesting. In the spring, 74 percent of eighth graders passed the test. Source: LPSS

4
No. of spots LSU climbed on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges 2011” ranking. At 124, the university is in a five-way tie in the “Best National Universities” category, the top tier that includes 197 schools. Harvard, Princeton and Yale earned the top spots, respectively. Tulane, which landed the 51st spot, ranks highest in the state, and UL Lafayette is listed among the second tier of the Best National Universities — though these universities are not ranked. In the “Best Black Colleges” category, Xavier and Dillard ranked sixth and ninth, respectively. The rankings group schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

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