Original Source: NACo
A new in-depth analysis reveals that economic recovery accelerated on the ground over the past year, but challenges remain. 2015 was a year of strong growth; however, most county economies have not recovered to pre-recession levels on jobs and unemployment. Additionally, between 2009 and 2014, real wage growth has not always kept pace with productivity gains.
County Economies 2015: Opportunities and Challenges, released today by the National Association of Counties (NACo), tracks annual changes in 2015 in four key economic performance indicators across the nation’s 3,069 county economies. The performance indicators are: economic output (GDP), employment, unemployment rates and home prices. The new analysis also explores wage dynamics in 2014 and between 2009 and 2014.
“Despite the economic rebound in some areas across the country, the majority of our counties’ families are still struggling financially,” said NACo President Sallie Clark. “Counties are the foundation and the building blocks of our community, regional, statewide and national economies. Strong county economies help to create healthy, vibrant and safe neighborhoods by providing vital services for our citizens.”
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RECOVERY OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND HOME PRICES ACCELERATED, BUT GDP RECOVERY WAS LESS PRONOUNCED.
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UNEMPLOYMENT RATES RECOVERED TO PRE-RECESSION LEVELS IN 2.5 TIMES MORE COUNTY ECONOMIES IN 2015 THAN IN 2014
Number of County Economies That Returned to Their Pre-Recession Lows in 2014 and 2015 |
ECONOMIC RECOVERY IS SPREADING MORE RAPIDLY, BUT MOST COUNTY ECONOMIES HAVE NOT FULLY RECOVERED.
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THE RECOVERY IS CREATING AN UNEVEN GEOGRAPHY OF OPPORTUNITY.
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As candidates for president discuss their plans for expanding opportunity for Americans, NACo encouraged them to work with counties.
“We are doing our part, investing in economic development, infrastructure and other services, but we cannot do it alone. Counties urge candidates for president to work with us to create greater opportunity for all Americans,” said Matthew Chase, NACo’s executive director. “Economic realities on the ground highlight the importance of working closely with our state, federal, non-profit and private-sector partners to deliver essential services to residents across the country.”
Emilia Istrate, NACo’s research director, added, “County Economies 2015 reminds us that the national picture of the U.S. economy can obscure what is happening on the ground. Economic growth is spreading, but most county economies have not recovered to levels seen before the recession.”
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For the full report, individual county economic profiles for each of the 3,069 county economies and more information, visit www.naco.org/CountyEconomies.