Economic growth in the New Orleans metropolitan area slowed substantially during the second year following Hurricane Katrina for a wide variety of reasons, according to a study by the University of New Orleans.

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The report blamed the slowdown on a lack of affordable housing, a labor shortage that has forced up pay, higher insurance costs, uncertainty about levees, a shortage of medical care, limited public schools in Orleans Parish, and the slow flow of insurance and home rebuilding money from the Road Home program.

The traditional economic drivers of the region's economy -- petroleum, chemical manufacturing and the Port of New Orleans -- have rebounded to or near to pre-Katrina levels. Technical jobs involving rebuilding and the petrochemical industry have exceeded their pre-storm levels, the report said.

But the study found that educational and medical services, grocery stores and government are lagging behind the overall growth in population and jobs in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist and St. Tammany parishes.

The metro area's slowing growth can be seen in its employment and population, both of which stand at about 83 percent of pre-storm levels, the report said. A year ago, jobs were at 79 percent of pre-storm levels, while population had reached 78 percent, the study said.

Tourism is lagging behind the overall economy. After a record 10.1 million people visited the New Orleans area in 2004, only 3.7 visitors came in 2006. About 6 million visitors are forecast this year, the report said.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)