Economic Development
Covering topics such as development incentives, business preservation, job creation and training and unemployment.
Companies that grew tech talent rapidly during the pandemic are now firing workers in droves in an effort to reduce operating costs and improve profitability, creating an employer’s market.
States have devoted billions of dollars to replenishing their unemployment trust funds, but many are still short. Fewer states are now prepared for a recession than before the pandemic.
As other states ramp up their own development incentives, Texas is experiencing more competition for opportunity zone projects. Of 94 economic incentives projects across the nation this year, just two were in Texas.
A real estate consultant estimated that San Diego could go from 2,780 downtown employees using 819,000 square feet of space to 3,060 employees in just 580,000 square feet with small adjustments.
Their inventor wanted them to be centers of social life. They never really achieved that goal, but the ones that remain are more than just places to spend money.
Pay and benefits are important, but a better-trained, more professional workforce is crucial as well. State child-care administrators and agencies are key to making it happen.
Authorities known as industrial development agencies hand out nearly $11 billion worth of subsidies each year.
DOD has released an industrial strategy that calls for a revival of domestic manufacturing that extends far beyond traditional defense contractors.
A handful of incoming mega-projects, such as a $15B Micron expansion and a new Meta data center, could squeeze the state’s tradesmen and hinder other developments across the state.
Revenues are coming in slower, creating some shortfalls. Following recent boom times, even a bit of belt-tightening is going to come as a shock.
Legislators continue to stall on proposed and already-enacted laws that aim to promote small-business development in minority and low-income communities. At the end of last year, the state’s Black unemployment rate was nearly 3 percent higher than the overall average.
Billions of dollars in tax-sheltered municipal bonds are sold to fund stadiums and arenas that enrich team owners while fueling federal deficits. Local politicians can’t say no, but Congress should.
The city’s own study about Mayor London Breed’s proposal to make it more profitable to turn empty offices into new homes found that it is unlikely to drive significant savings under current market conditions.
Future in Context
The co-author of a new book suggests that when technology, data and collective effort converge, government, the tech industry and higher education can tackle major challenges while bringing a new generation into the workforce.
The rising number of gun deaths in Texas has inspired a $3 billion industry of active shooter training, consultants, surveillance technologies and safety infrastructure. Some experts aren’t certain the touted strategies are effective.
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