Eathington, Liesl

March 2006

Many Midwestern communities are engaging in regional industrial targeting and cluster development strategies, often with a focus on their existing manufacturing strengths. However, local economic development officials are understandably nervous about investing more resources into a sector whose future growth prospects are unknown. This research describes a practical risk assessment tool for measuring a region's vulnerability to near-term manufacturing job loss. Such a tool might be used to inform or prioritize regional strategic planning and industrial targeting efforts. As an additional benefit, the tool might help bridge the gaps between local expertise and regional understanding

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