24 Things Economic Developers Need to Know This Week

Welcome to this week's issue of What Economic Developers Need to Know This Week, where we explore the evolving dynamics of our economy. 

This week we have 24 tools, stories, graphics, charts, and videos that I think you'll find informative, useful, inspiring, and perhaps even humorous. Some are economic development related directly, and some only indirectly. 🤔

If you're wondering what to do with the info in this newsletter, send something to your board members. It will make you look good!

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Learn More

1) Economic Development and Developers in the News # 164 - Econ dev news from 184 economic development executives and organizations in 36 states and territories, plus Canada and Australia

2) Econ Dev Podcast Guests Wanted - Seeking: Unique perspectives, new ideas, and interesting people.

3) 25 Things Economic Developers Need to Know Last Week - The stories Dane thinks you need to see. August 29, 2024 edition.

4) Ranking Local Economies: How Do Primary Employers Shape America’s Economic Landscape - Uncovering hidden gems

5) US job openings hit 3-1/2-year low as labor market eases:

6) The number of job openings per unemployed person is now firmly below pre-COVID levels:

7) The states with the lowest rates are found in the north, with the Dakotas recording extremely low levels at around 2%. Vermont also ranks well (2.1%), as does New Hampshire (2.5%) and Nebraska(2.6%):

8) Look at this: 🍔 Change in Big Macs per hour earned by crew members between 2016 and 2023, by state (%):

9) Factories continue to reduce staff:

10) The new recruitment challenge: filtering ai-crafted resumes: Tech companies are adding steps – and humans – to distill impostors, ChatGPT liars and a fire hose of applications.

11) Sitehunt: Can We Decipher the Secrets of an Abandoned Lot? Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the weeds.

12) Sitehunt: Is AI the Site Selection Tool of the Future? Some say no. Dane says YES!

13) 19 things you can do with an empty lot: You probably have one in your downtown. Maybe a building burned, or maybe the roof just fell in. These things happen. Now you have an empty space, maybe with walls, or maybe just an open lot. What can you do with a roofless building? The standard answer for small town governments has been to make a pocket park: a little green space, a bench or two, and that's about it. But that's not all.

14) An urban designer answers city planning questions:

15) The hidden engineering of landfills: