Growth and Change: Employment Growth, Future Prospects, and Change at the Ohio Rural-Urban Interface

This report is the second in a series of reports highlighting recent and historical trends in Ohio‟s relative performance vis-à-vis other states in attracting and retaining population, enhancing quality of life, and providing economic opportunities. It is well known that Ohio has lagged the nation in most economic indicators. But why should we care? For one, lagging economic growth has a corrosive impact that generates self fulfilling expectations of a vicious downward cycle. Ask yourself, do businesses invest in locations with weaker prospects?  Other regions compete throughout the world, meaning that there are high costs to the people of Ohio if it chooses to retreat.