Pittsburgh Metro region economy is worse

[Dropkick]

Looking for positives

Region slips further in annual report card on economy but there are some good signs

Saturday, November 20, 2004

By Corilyn Shropshire, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Pittsburgh's ranking as a metro area that creates and retains jobs went from bad to worse this year, according to an annual study by a California think tank, but it wasn't all bad.

The Milken Institute did note that some well-paying local jobs were being created, in the construction, health care and finance industries, and that the region's high-tech sectors were growing but still trailed counterparts elsewhere.

The Santa Monica-baed economic development researcher annually ranks the 200 "Best Performing Cities" based on job creation, the types of jobs, income growth and pay, and high-tech performance. By those measures, Pittsburgh's overall ranking fell to 132 from 96 in 2003.

Not surprisingly, Pittsburgh was hurt by short-term job growth -- or, more accurately, by ongoing job losses, with its ranking in that category falling 15 spots to 152. The six-county area shed 24,000 jobs from the past two years, and is expected to end this year down several thousand once the final numbers are in.


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Yeah, the last four years have been GREAT for us :grr:

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

1. I had an opportunity to yell at

City Controller and Allegheny County Democratic Chair Wednesday night on this very subject. He sat there and blamed Pittsburgh's ills on everything under the sun and offered numerous alternatives involving everyone BUT Pittsburgh.

The political powers that be in the region are still of the mindset that downtown has to be the shopping mecca it will never be, that Northside will be the future hub of the social universe, and that the Mon Fayette will somehow miraculously bring manufacturing back to the Mon Valley.

They need a SERIOUS f**king wakeup call, and a huge clue.

Dr Batesen D Belfry

[Dropkick]

2. Downtown Pgh as a shopping hub

ALWAYS gets a laugh out of me. Let's see, Lord & Taylor lasted what, a year? Lazarus in limbo, not making a cent of profit (and the city out a HUGE chunk of change because of the loan terms), not to mention several other "high-end" retailers closing their doors. They should tear down Lazarus and put up a huge parking garage, that is something that will get use and make a profit.

[Joy Anne]

4. welcome, Doc

Love your nom de plume.

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

6. Thank you. Shame the signatures

aren't showing up.

I'd rather a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy
Dr Batsen D Belfry

[bleedingheart]

3. The city has it backwards...first you fix the schools and the

infrastructure....and then when it is a great place to live and grow companies that supply good paying jobss...the retail companies will move in without any prompting or concessions because it will be a profitable place to live...

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

5. Excellent synopsis Bleedingheart

Schools and a job building engine.

Every speaker that came through on this committee I work on was saying the same thing about jobs...Attracting from the outside. They just don't get it. Small businesses grow into big businesses with some semblance of loyalty to where they grew up. Big business attracted to the region has no loyalty and leaves town, state, then country.

I am in a fortunate position that I get to yell at city, county, and school district/board leadership when I want to. I also get to present some ideas too. We are presenting Onorato with some ideas on regional governance in a few weeks, and I have several ideas for the Pittsburgh school district and board that may actually make them more competitive. Details to follow later.