Regional Vision

More than 95 percent of the leaders of Northeast Ohio want counties to work together to develop an overall plan for economic growth and to support job creation; 94 percent want counties to collaborate on worker training; and 93 percent want counties to collaborate on attracting international business.

The findings parallel results of the Barometer of Economic Attitudes, a Gallup survey of 2,200 citizens from 15 Northeast Ohio counties, which is sponsored annually by the Fund for Our Economic Future to gauge citizens’ loyalty to the region and attitudes on economic conditions, economic development initiatives and regional cooperation. The 2005 Barometer, released in February, found that 86 percent of citizens want counties to work together to develop an overall plan for economic growth, 87 percent support county cooperation for job development, 78 percent want counties to cooperate on job training, and 82 percent want counties to collaborate on attracting international business. Citizens were less likely to support regional collaboration to determine land usage, with 47 percent support.

"There’s clearly a groundswell of support for cross-county collaboration to improve the region’s economy," said David Abbott, co-chair of Voices & Choices and executive director of the George Gund Foundation. "It’s encour-aging to see that the region has a collective will to work together to create more jobs and improve the quality of life in Northeast Ohio. It’s critical that we leverage this momentum to come together to develop a plan to make Northeast Ohio a more viable competitor in the global economy. We have so many positive attributes just waiting to be leveraged."

       Ohio Planners News 4/06

Job Growth

In spite of the news from the statehouse on Ohio ranking in the top 5 states in business site development, the state has broken the all-time record by going 117 consecutive months with its job growth below the national average. This is by far the longest streak of sub-par job growth in the history of Ohio. The state has gone nearly nine con-secutive years with its job growth below the national average, with all months of all years included. 

The streak started in March 1996 and has never happened previously in Ohio, but it remains a situation that is among the most severe problems that the state faces. During recessions, Ohio lost jobs more rapidly than the rest of the country. During recoveries, Ohio’s job growth was continuously slower than simultaneous job growth in the rest of the United States. That pattern remains intact in the latest figures on employment.

      Info Mail 4/06

Swift Seagoing Barges are Coming

Likely to be launched in three years, fast, stable barges will each ferry hundreds of big truck trailers up and down the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Such short-sea shipments are expected to be a cost- and time-effective alterna-tive to long-haul trucking on crowded highways. Could this happen on the Great Lakes?

Kiplinger

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It pays to be your own boss

The typical small business owner’s household wealth and income exceed that of other workers, overall by about 30% according to Claritas.

Firms in these 10 industries will create the most new jobs over the next five years, according to Economy.com.

• Biotechnology

• Cable and Satellite TV

• Internet

• Medical Services

• Advertising

• Pharmaceuticals

• Industrial Services

• Entertainment

• Computer Software and Services

• Medical Supplies

The National City Corp. Reports that, in March, 79% of 158 Northeast Ohio small businesses reported a positive outlook on the economy. About 62% reported that they might be hiring soon. The seven state region, which includes Ohio, is around 70% optimistic about the economy.

      National City Corp. Small Bus. Index 3/06

Casino revenues generate tax jackpots

Tax revenues from commercial casinos contributed more than $4.7 billion to state and local governments in 2004, a 9.6 percent increase over the previous year, according to the Washington-based American Gaming Association. The revenues come from 445 commercial casinos in 11 states, which also generated roughly $29 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2004. How taxes are spent varies widely by state but includes local government activities, economic development, retirement systems, state capital improvements and general funds.

      American Gaming Association ‘05

Illegal Aliens by the Number

The Washington-based PEW Hispanic Center recently released new estimates of the size and shape of the illegal immigrant population currently in the U.S.

• 11 million undocumented U.S. residents estimated as of 3/2005

• 6 million undocumented U.S. residents estimated to be Mexicans

• 1.7 million undocumented immigrants are under 18

• 80-85% of migration from Mexico in recent years has been undocumented

       U.S. Census and Dept. Of Labor

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