By Alabama Public Radio
Alabama – The U-S- Bureau of Labor Statistics report says 20-thousand-223 Alabama businesses or 17-point-seven percent of the state's total, were closed by Hurricane Katrina. Some of those businesses still remain closed. Most were closed a few hours or days due to lost power and have reopened. The report shows 317-thousand-206 workers, or 17-point-one percent of Alabama's work force, were affected by the storm. In Mississippi, 63-point-three percent of that state's businesses were affected. In Louisiana, 71-point-six percent of the state's businesses were temporarily shut down by the hurricane.