Economic Development Without Jobs?

So where are the jobs? And if they’re nowhere to be found, how are economic developers supposed to do their jobs?

There’s a lot of evidence these days that the economy is recovering from the big crash in 2008. The stock market is much stronger than it was back then, and the housing market seems to have bottomed out. Retail sales are still sluggish but appear to be creeping upward.

But jobs are another story. From a peak of 146 million jobs in 2007, employment in the United States has dropped to around 139.8 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — and has stubbornly remained at that level for the last 18 months, despite aggressive efforts by the Barack Obama administration to keep the economy afloat. In every previous recession over the past 50 years job growth has slowed to a halt, but it has never really gone down.

Read the article here.

Does the South Have a Distinct Advantage for Tech Companies?

According to a recent Area Development article, a skilled, available work force, a favorable cost environment, the necessary infrastructure, and generous financial support have created a near-perfect environment for technology companies to thrive in the South.

What do you say? I thought the West and Pacific Northwest had the lead in tech company growth? Take another look and see what’s happening in the South.