Creating Jobs in America’s Cities: Three frontiers in economic development

Even as U.S. unemployment numbers drop and GDP rises, job creation remains an issue. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the United States still lags behind its 2007 levels, and labor force participation is at its lowest point in more than 30 years. The picture is even bleaker for less-educated workers, with unemployment among Americans without a college diploma (7%) at more than twice the rate of unemployment among college graduates (3%). Meanwhile, the unemployment rate among African Americans (12.1% as of January 2014) more than doubles that of whites (5.7%).

Against that backdrop, cities are hungry to find ways to create more and better jobs for all their residents. And yet, many economic development practitioners acknowledge that currently prevailing practices will not deliver the number or quality of jobs that city residents need.

Posted by Arthur Burris

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