The latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures on employment show a St. Mary Parish economy that is coming back, although slowly, after a four-year slump. The numbers also offer some insight into how dependent the region is on the energy industry and why so many political candidates are talking about economic diversity this year. They provide some motivation for the Urban Land Institute study of development opportunities that you’ll read about elsewhere in this edition. The bureau’s numbers for parishes that are outside big cities come out only quarterly, so the available figures show only employment here as of six months ...