Promoting excellence in community and economic research since 1961
To maintain a competitive edge in attracting businesses, states develop their incentive programs to build on current strengths or fill gaps in economic development. Since incentive programs are catered to the needs of each state, regions’ programs differ in structure, type, and size. The specifics of a program may ultimately be the deciding factor for […]
Continue ReadingThe decision to move to a new city for a bigger salary may seem like a no-brainer, but how far will that extra money go? It is undeniable that larger metro areas like New York and Los Angeles offer better opportunities for higher paying jobs, but jobseekers should not only consider the size of their […]
Continue ReadingThe price for a one-hour, drop-in yoga class is one of the newer items in the Cost of Living Index (COLI), introduced in 2018. With only two years of historical data when the pandemic hit in early 2020, the COLI team stopped pricing the local yoga classes as yoga studios, like many other businesses, had to shut down. Quarter 3, 2021 is the first time we have […]
Continue ReadingWith the Labor Day upon us and summer coming to an end, people are getting ready to fire up their grills this weekend. However, when grill masters go to their local grocer to pick up the BBQ essentials they may be in for sticker shock. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains in the meat industry, […]
Continue ReadingState Incentives: SSBCI Program Recap and Overview In 2010, President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs Act, which created the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Functioning as a recovery response to the Great Recession, it delivered $1.5 billion in capital to small businesses. Federally, SSBCI phased out in 2017. Nevertheless, after more […]
Continue ReadingEmployment numbers are going to be major indicator of economic recovery coming out of Covid-19. This was part of Dr. William Spriggs’s message on June 8 at the C2ER/LMI Institute (Virtual) Annual Conference Economic Outlook Keynote. The Howard University professor and chief economist of AFL-CIO believes that we are on the path to economic normalcy, […]
Continue Reading