2009

Both proponents and opponents of the Casino debate utilized the same research report

Rarely does an analysis by the Economics Center receive the level of attention given to our recent report on the economic and fiscal impacts of the proposed Ohio casinos.

The Economics Center committed to preparing a careful, empirical analysis of the anticipated statewide and community-level impacts of building and operating the four casinos, following established procedures. Staff members spent over 300 hours collecting data, evaluating research, preparing and checking calculations, and writing up the results of the analysis.

Local Workforce Skills and Economic Growth

A balanced approach to economic growth includes creating low-skilled jobs.

In researching the economic and fiscal impacts of the proposed Ohio casinos, the Economics Center examined the composition of the local workforce by education level. This research revealed that almost 45 percent of the working-age population of the Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan Area has a high school diploma or less. Economic development discussions often center on bringing high earning jobs to the area to spur growth, but nearly half of the existing population segment would likely lack the necessary skills to take advantage of these jobs.

Workforce and Economic Growth: Identifying Job Trends and Workforce Gaps for Regional Prosperity

In seeking to achieve economic growth, community leaders usually try to build on both local strengths and national trends. The Economics Center has provided assistance to numerous economic development organizations in the past few years, and Jeff Rexhausen, the Associate Director of Research, recently identified some workforce characteristics in one popular target industry group: Professional and Technical Services.

Queen City: Cincinnati's potential in global trade

In a world of increasingly complex global relationships, it is important to consider where one’s local area fits in to the picture. Recent work by Jennifer Pitzer, PhD, research associate, looks at trends in global trade and how Cincinnati may become a major player.