The Division of Economic Development and Forecasting conducts applied economics research on a wide variety of topics. Division projects include economic impact studies, program evaluations, forecasting, and a broad range of research assessing the impact of potential policies.

The Division also produces the Louisiana Economic Outlook (LEO), which analyzes the state's economy and that of major metropolitan areas and forecasts Louisiana employment for the next two years. Businesses use the projections in LEO to help forecast their own sales and revenue for the coming years and to make critical business decisions.

In addition, the Division works with a variety of state agencies on research projects. In recent years, these have included projects with Louisiana Departments of Corrections, Culture and Tourism, Economic Development, Health and Hospitals, and Labor, as well as the Board of Regents and the Governor's office. The research conducted by Division influences the quality of the information available to state agencies and citizens, which in turn enhances the quality of their decisions.