Papers & Presentations
Papers:
Benchmarking Connecticut 2006: Determinants of Economic Growth assesses the factors impacting growth in the Connecticut economy including national policies, regional forces such as income and productivity levels, housing, transportation and demographics, and state issues such as industry structure, and urban markets. Based on these challenges, the report also identifies priority areas of focus, which if positively impacted, could contribute to ensuring sustainable future growth for the state. Download the executive summary or the full report. Read the benchmark report press release.
Benchmarking Connecticut's Economy 2005 - A Comparative Analysis of Innovation and Technology
This report assesses Connecticut's capacity and trends relative to other states in areas related to competitiveness and innovation in the knowledge economy. Sections of the report include an analysis of trends in Connecticut's technology sector, a 50-state comparison in five benchmark categories, a discussion of larger structural issues and a growth outlook for the state, and policy questions resulting from the findings.
Shedding Some Light on Photonics
CERC Research Brief - April 2008, by Alissa DeJonge, Economist, CERC
With the creation of The Connecticut Optics and Photonics Association (CTOPA) in 2007 to promote the industry in the state, there is no better time than now to take a closer look into the industy and answer the question: What exactly is photonics?
Boundaries to Urban Growth
CERC Research Brief - May 2007, by Dale Shannon, Senior Economist, CERC
Probably everyone recognizes an urban area when they see one. As would be expected, and shown on this month's Map of the Month, three northeastern states (Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey) have high urban population concentrations. However, the map also shows California and Nevada as the other two states in which 90 percent or more of each state's total population is concentrated in urban areas. This is interesting because our perceptions of California and especially Nevada include large areas of undeveloped and unsettled land.
Regional Similarities in Job Change
CERC Research Brief - February 2007, by Jeff Blodgett, VP Research, CERC
This month we took a quick look at job changes by county throughout the northeastern corridor stretching from Portland, Maine to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This collection of 81 counties approximates the northern half of the metro corridor that extends to Richmond, Virginia. This region was home to about 23.1 million private sector jobs in 2004. Between 2001 and 2004 the region added about 140,000 jobs for a growth rate of 0.6 percent.
Connecticut's Budget Outlook: Balancing Demand and Supply in a Period of Structural Deficits
As seen in CT Business Magazine - By Jeff Blodgett, VP of Research, CERC
The Legislature's Office of Fiscal Analysis recently released its state budget outlook for the next few years and the news is not good. The OFA estimates a $235 billion shortfall in the current services budget in FY 2008 growing to a $691 billion deficit, or 4 percent, by FY 2010.
Rising Housing Costs in Connecticut: Evidence from the U.S. Census
CERC Research Brief - October 2006, by Alissa DeJonge, Economist, CERC
Many areas in the U.S. have been experiencing housing price accelerations since 1999 and Connecticut is no exception. When looking at median household incomes and median values of owner-occupied housing units in 1999, all of the values in the Connecticut counties were greater than the U.S. averages.
Income Perspectives in Connecticut
CERC Research Brief - September 2006, by Jeff Blodgett, Vice President, CERC
It is widely known that Connecticut has the highest per capita income in the country and has held that title for decades. One also often hears that, absent Fairfield County, per capita income in Connecticut would be much lower than it is currently. This rudimentary analysis serves to dispel that myth.
Industry Snapshot: Professional & Business Services in a Flat World
CERC Research Brief - July 2006, by Dave Czarnecki, Research Assistant, CERC and Dale Shannon, Senior Economist, CERC
From attorneys to collection agents, the Professional and Business Services industry represents a diverse and thriving sector of the U.S. economy. These jobs are prone to regional and global economic pressures, such as outsourcing. This research brief focuses on the growth trends and the factors that influence the growth for this industry nationally and in Connecticut.
In Depth: Patents in Connecticut
CERC Research Brief - June 2006, by Alissa DeJonge, Economist, CERC
The number of new patents issued is an important indicator of the level and success of R&D activities occurring in a given state. The ability of individuals and companies to obtain patents speaks to an area's entrepreneurial and business vitality, as discussed in CERC's 2005 benchmarks report.
Where are the Young Americans? Population Distributions of the 25-to-34-Year-Olds by County & State
CERC Research Brief - April 2006
The age distribution of Connecticut reveals an older, more mature population that resembles the age distributions of the northern New England states of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The relatively small concentration of the young adult group and low growth rates in Connecticut and the other New England states reflect important factors that should not be ignored. This young adult group, defined as people between 25 and 34 years old, can set the pace for a region as they join the work force and form households. Their presence often reflects the availability of good entry-level jobs and affordable housing in a region. The following analysis, by CERC Senior Economist, Dale Shannon, reviews the county and state concentrations of this group among the 3,141 counties and the 50 states in the U.S.
Employment Growth in Connecticut's Towns Since 1980
CERC Research Brief - March 2006
Connecticut's cities or towns with the largest gains or losses in employment over the last couple of decades all have stories that are fairly well known and distinct. Embedded within each of these stories are changes in consumer preferences, international competition, pressures to increase town tax bases, significant increases in labor productivity and a multitude of other factors. Thus, within the changes in the number of jobs available within each town, there are stories that extend beyond town boundaries and provide a broader perspective on each town's employment growth. The following analysis by CERC Senior Economist, Dale Shannon, reviews the changes in employment since 1980 for Connecticut's towns.
National and State Perspectives on Educational Attainment
CERC Research Brief - February 2006
An educated work force is productive and innovative, key features of furthering economic growth. This CERC Research Brief by CERC Economist, Alissa DeJonge, shows strengths and weaknesses of Connecticut and the U.S. relative to other states and countries.
Occupations and Wages in Connecticut: What's Hot and What's Not
CERC Research Brief - January 2006
Recently, there has been talk in the media about Connecticut losing high-paying jobs while gaining lower-wage jobs. This CERC Research Brief explores whether this trend has occurred by looking at recent available data.
The Emerging BRICs: Brazil, Russia, India and China
This summary by CERC Economist, Alissa DeJonge, presents issues addressed during the online course The New Economic Powers: Brazil, Russia, India and China, moderated by Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics, Pembroke College, The University of Oxford, September 2004 to November 2004.
Developing Community Indicators
Dale Shannon, senior economist at CERC, highlights the key points he observed at an international conference that covered the primary aspects of community indicators.
Globalization: How to Maximize Gain and Minimize Pain
Research Analyst Alissa DeJonge summarizes issues addressed during the online course Globalization and the New Global Economy, moderated by Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics, Pembroke College, The University of Oxford, September to October 2003.
Census 2000: Key Trends and Implications for Cities
CERC Research Associate Lindsey Springer highlights a presentation on the implication of the 2000 Census data on the country's major cities given recently by Bruce Katz, vice president of the Brookings Institution.
Balancing Your Local Business Portfolio
Are all your eggs in one basket? Diversification of your local business base is the key to counteracting negative national economic influences on your local economy. Article by CERC Senior Economist Dale Shannon.
Taxation in Connecticut
Is Connecticut truly a high-tax state? Analysis by CERC Research Associate Lindsey Springer shows you why it's not all about the actual dollar amount you're paying. (PDF file, 25KB)
Defining "High Tech"
CERC Research Analyst Alissa DeJonge summarizes presentations from a 2001 ACCRA conference on defining high technology. Presenters were Dr. Audrey Clarke, Western Oregon University, and Dr. Roger R. Stough, George Mason University.
Interning in the U.S.
Jian Li and Yeshang Zhang, guest researchers at CERC in the fall of 2003, introduce themselves and their work in China and offer some observations based on their experiences during their stay in the U.S.
Lessons from the Swiss Economy
Jian Li, a guest researcher at CERC in the fall of 2003, reviews some of the problems currently confronting the Swiss economy and observes a number of similarities between the Swiss and Connecticut economies.
Home Improvement Companies in Urban Markets
Yeshang Zhang, a guest researcher at CERC in the fall of 2003, reviews potential gains to underserved urban economies in the U.S. from some of the lessons American-based home improvement companies may learn from their recent moves into urban Chinese markets.
Presentations:
Insurance Industry Presentation
Given to Hartford Area Business Economists (HABE), May 23, 2002
IMPLAN Paper and Presentation
Dale Shannon presented "Tapping IMPLAN's Data Mine to Identify and Analyze Regional Industries and Industry Clusters for Connecticut" at the 2002 IMPLAN Input/Output Conference in September 2002. Read the paper or view the presentation.
Smart Growth
Presented to the International Council of Shopping Centers in 2001, this presentation from CERC's Research Department discusses defining and measuring smart growth in Connecticut.