30 Things Economic Developers Need to Know This Week
The stories Dane thinks you need to see. April 17, 2025 edition.
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 30 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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1) Economic Development and Developers in the News #191 highlights activity from 63 economic development executives across 23 states.
2) 3 Ways to Get Better Building & Site Photos explains why good photos are good data — and how to take them.
3) Podcast 169: Reimagining Urban Industrial Spaces for Modern Manufacturing with Lindsay Greene explores how 21st-century manufacturing is reshaping American cities.
4) 18 New Econ Dev Jobs This Week spotlights fresh economic development roles in 11 states.
From Dane: Not only do I publish the Econ Dev Show newsletter and podcast for free every week, but over the past year, I've also been developing a groundbreaking tool for economic development organizations: Sitehunt.
I've been told it's the first truly practical application of AI in economic development.
Your peers agree. In its first year alone, Sitehunt is already being used by EDOs of all sizes across the country.
Here's what it can do:
- Automatically research and enhance your existing buildings and site database -- or even create one from scratch.
- Continuously discover new, suitable buildings and sites within your communities to grow your economic development inventory.
- Generate compelling data and marketing content for your sites.
- Instantly analyze RFIs and match them to your inventory, ensuring you never miss an opportunity from a site selector.
Can I give you a demo? I promise you'll be amazed at what Sitehunt can do.
5) The NY Fed's regional manufacturing index showed a smaller-than-expected contraction, suggesting cautious optimism.
6) Surveyed firms report more pessimism in expected business conditions for the months ahead.
7) Umm: new orders appear to have fallen off a cliff:
8) A shift in price pressures: manufacturers reported increasing input costs:
9) U.S. import prices unexpectedly fell in March, led by cheaper energy, signaling cooling inflation before new tariffs.
10) Tariffs are having a disproportionate impact on business investment, according to Oxford Economics.
11) Consumers rushed to make purchases, fueling a surge in retail sales ahead of tariff hikes, says Morgan Stanley:
12) Estimated undocumented employment by sector shows its share across key industries:
13) What it takes to be middle class varies widely by state.
14) Pickup or sedan? This map shows the best-selling vehicle in each state in 2024:
15) This chart visualizes how much states rely on federal funding for their budgets.
