Louisiana has been one of the worst states to live in the US for decades. The state has a low median income, poor healthcare, high crime, and poor infrastructure. Today, there is a new reason, particularly for business. CNBC named it the worst state to do business in (aside from Alaska, where no one lives).

Louisiana does poorly across almost every metric used by CNBC. It is at the bottom based on the quality of the workforce, infrastructure, economy, “life, health, and inclusion,” and technology & innovation.

To make matters worse, Louisiana also makes CNBC’s “America’s worst places to live.” Health statistics for the state are alarmingly poor. The financial news outlet reports, “According to FBI statistics, the violent crime rate is among the nation’s highest.”

The major problem is that it will take decades to move well up the ladder when states show up at the bottom of these lists. Healthcare is a matter of state policy, and access to capital requires changes in financial institutions and state policy. Pulling people out of poverty also includes access to vast capital, a new generation of teachers, and restructured schools. Many of these schools are part of districts the state government does not control.

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Bringing technology companies to a state is also nearly impossible to change. The firms are attracted by an educated workforce and a place people want to live. Workforce changes could take generations to change.

A state with poor metrics across most of those used to measure the benefits of living and doing business in a state will always be compared to the other 49 states, and by these yardsticks, they need to stand still.

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