Northeast Ohio lost 2 percent total employment from 1997 to 2007, while the U.S. grew nearly 13 percent and the state as a whole saw a one percent increase. But, CSU’s economic brief highlights areas where the region has seen growth. Science, technical, and finance areas were among the most productive sectors in the last two years. But, the largest job sectors remain manufacturing and health care.
When it comes to regional job trends, the Youngstown metro area lost the most jobs - more than 5 thousand in the last two years. Cleveland’s metro area lost nearly 17 hundred, but Akron’s metro GAINED close to 5 thousand.
Jill Taylor is a researcher at CSU’s Economic Development Center. She says Akron’s success can be attributed to a collaborative effort.
Jill Taylor: They’ve been aggressive in looking at foreign investment. They’ve really promoted their plastic and rubber industries. They’ve made strong connections between the university and industry. The mayor has come up with innovative ideas. So I think it’s a combination of factors.
The plastic and rubber industries may still thrive in Akron, but the economic brief reports that that sector lost more than 8 thousand jobs.
Tasha Flournoy, 90.3.