Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Economic Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Ohio, Matthew Ellerbrock, Iryna Demko, Iryna Lendel, Erica Henrichsen

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had sweeping impacts on our society; some of the most dire are economic in nature. In Ohio, stay-at-home orders enacted by Governor DeWine in March 2020 resulted in many Ohioans losing work, in part or altogether. The shutdowns also shifted consumption patterns, with more spending online and at grocery stores taking the place of entertainment, travel, and accommodations. To respond to the economic hardships felt by the pandemic, beginning in late March, the United States federal government issued multiple rounds of financial assistance in the form of business loans, stimulus checks, grants, and contracts. This …

Pandemic-Related Business Assistance, February 2021, Iryna V. Lendel, Molly Schnoke, Erica Henrichsen

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The pandemic has caused an unprecedented increase in unemployment, the closing or suspension of operations for many businesses, a drastic reduction in the capacity to produce many goods and services, and a significant reduction of disposable household income. To assist with these economic emergencies, federal, state, and local governments have passed legislation to aid households and businesses, including some programs for nonprofits. This brief groups the actions of all levels of government into four categories: general business support, small business support, industry-specific support, and unemployment benefits for individuals. The subsequent sections offer a summary of each program and a link …

Navigating Government Statistics Of Small Businesses For Pandemic Assistance, Iryna Demko, Iryna V. Lendel, Georgina Guadalupe Figueroa

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This brief examines various sources of government statistics to assist in understanding the scope of small businesses, the legal structure of their operations, and their distribution by industry in the Northeast Ohio (NEO) region. Under the current restrictions for business operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many entrepreneurs and small businesses need assistance to maintain cash flow and to retain both their employees and customers. Governments at all levels have developed business assistance programs to help small businesses; more recently, some of these programs have revised their rules. To illustrate who might be affected by the changing rules, several sources …

Moving Cleveland Above The Trend: Innovation & Talent, Iryna V. Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Molly Schnoke, Nora Walsh

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

A recent report conducted by the Center for Economic Development includes a model for understanding and predicting economic growth in U.S. mid-sized regional economies to analyze structural and policy-based factors among similar regions. The Center used factor analysis as a data-reduction technique to identify the influences in mid-sized regional economies. This statistical analysis found five factors influencing the mid-sized regional economies reviewed for this report. They are 1) Innovation and Talent, 2) Entrepreneurship in High-Cost Areas, 3) New Residential Centers, 4) Retirement Destinations, and 5) Polarization. This was followed by an analysis to determine the relationship between these factors and …

Housing Market Pressures In Youngstown During The Gm Plant Closure (2016 To 2019), Iryna Demko, Molly Schnoke, Rachel Lefebre, Isabella Mcknight, Merissa Piazza

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This brief seeks to investigate the changes in the regional housing markets for renters and homeowners in the Youngstown region due to the General Motors Lordstown Assembly closure. Housing is an important part of the regional infrastructure that can attract new people in times when the Youngstown region tries to develop high-tech industries and reinvent its economy. The quality of housing stock determines the amount of property taxes, which help fund local schools as well as city services. In 2019, both median household income and median home values declined in the Youngstown region. The demand for rental properties increased as …

Moving Cleveland Above The Trend: Entrepreneurship Policy, Iryna V. Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Molly Schnoke, Shneur Kushner

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

A recent report conducted by the Center for Economic Development discussed the structural and policy factors of economic growth in mid-sized U.S. economies and included an analysis of similar regions. The Center used factor analysis as a data-reduction technique and identified five factors influencing mid-sized regional economies: 1) Innovation and Talent, 2) Entrepreneurship in High-Cost Areas, 3) New Residential Centers, 4) Retirement Destinations, and 5) Polarization. An analysis determined the relationship between these factors and the changes in regional employment, gross regional product (output), and per capita income. This brief outlines the initial analysis primary takeaways as it relates to …

Economic Vitality Index: Mapping Ohio's 88 Counties, Matthew Ellerbrock, Courtney Whitman, Iryna V. Lendel, Merissa Piazza

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Along with the unimaginable death of hundreds of thousands, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused economic hardship for many more millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of businesses, large and small. After experiencing the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, we are now faced with an unprecedented contraction in modern times as workers see their hours reduced – or jobs eliminated – and businesses scale down operations or close their doors altogether. As part of its effort to aid in responding to Ohio’s economic downturn resulting from the pandemic, the Center for Economic Development (Center) is tracking the overall economic …

Pandemic Related Housing Assistance, December 2020, Iryna V. Lendel, Molly Schnoke, Erica Henrichsen

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The COVID-19 disease has resulted in a worldwide pandemic. Over 85 million worldwide confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in a single year (2020) with more than 1.8 million of those cases resulting in death. The United States reported over 20 million confirmed cases in 2020 with over 300,000 deaths. This is a public health crisis that has resulted in widespread government response including event cancellations/prohibitions, stay-at-homes orders, the closure of nonessential businesses, and more. Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio declared a state of emergency on 3/9/2020 immediately following the first case reported in the state. On 3/13/2020, President …

Can The Eitc And Unemployment Insurance Replace Lost Wages?, Megan Hatch, Chloe G. White

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on all aspects of social, economic, and political life worldwide. In the United States, millions of people have tested positive for COVID-19, and over 200,000 people have died from the virus. While Ohio’s governor and director of public health have been credited for their quick decision-making in response to the pandemic, Ohio’s communities still suffered, with well over 100,000 cases and thousands of COVID-19-related deaths statewide.

Policymakers aiming to reduce the spread of COVID-19 were forced to make difficult tradeoffs between public health and the economy. On March 23, 2020, Governor Mike …

Are There Opportunities In Opportunity Zones?, Tatyana Guzman, Rachel Lefebre

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Opportunity Zones (OZ) are an economic development tool designed to spur investment in impoverished areas (census tracts). OZs were created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. They allow investors to defer (and, if investments are held for a long time, to partially exclude) capital gains received from qualified investments made in Opportunity Zones from federal tax. In this research we speculate on the potential effect of the Opportunity Zones program in the greater Cleveland area. 8,764 census tracts in the United States received Opportunity Zone designation. 320 of them were selected in Ohio. Of those, 317 are low-income …

Youngstown Economy: Recession And Path To Recovery, Iryna Demko, Iryna V. Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Georgina Figueroa, Matthew Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This brief seeks to identify opportunities for the Youngstown economy to recover from the COVID-induced economic recession.

Jobless Pandemic: Geography Of Layoffs And Opportunity Zones, Georgina Figueroa, Matthew Ellerbrock, Iryna V. Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act is a law designed to protect workers against employment losses. Employers are required to provide employees with a 60-day notice in the event of plant closings and mass layoffs. Under normal conditions, WARNs are required in the event of a) Plants closing or stopping operation either permanently or temporarily affecting 50 or more workers; b) Layoffs of 500 or more employees during a 30-day-period or when these layoffs constitute at least a third of the company’s workforce; and c) Temporary layoffs expected to exceed six months, in this case, when a temporary …

Moving Cleveland Above The Trend: Benchmarking Regional Performance (Presentation), Iryna V. Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

About the Study

Model for understanding and predicting economic growth in U.S. mid-sized regional economies similar to Cleveland and NEO

Analyzed structural and policy-based factors and looked for outperformers - what can Cleveland learn about their public policies and programs?

Used a multi-stage process collecting 43 variables associated with regional growth, including educational attainment, business composition, regional assets, and quality of life

The mid-sized regional economies analyzed encompass 135 metro areas, and includes populations spanning from 352,823 to 3.9 million

Used factor analysis as a data-reduction technique to identify factors influencing growth in mid-sized regional economies:

*Innovation and Talent
*Entrepreneurship …

Moving Cleveland Above The Trend: Benchmarking Regional Performance (Report), Iryna V. Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Molly Schnoke, Jinhee Yun, Nora Walsh

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

When analyzing economic development, we must consider both the factors that can be changed through policy and those that cannot. This report includes our model for understanding and predicting economic growth in U.S. mid-sized regional economies to analyze structural and policy-based factors among similar regional economies. Our research used a multi-stage process that involved collecting 43 variables on a variety of topics that are associated with regional growth, such as educational attainment, business composition, regional assets, and quality of life. In total, our mid-sized regional economies encompass 135 metro areas, and includes populations spanning from 352,823 to 3.9 million. We …

Neo Grids Performance In 2020, Iryna Demko, Merissa Piazza, Iryna V. Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The Center for Economic Development identified 33 driver industries in the 2019 report titled “Northeast Ohio Front Runners: Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs).” GRIDs are wealth-creating industries that pay high wages, have a robust regional specialization, and contribute to the economy through regional supply chains. However, in this year alone, the U.S. and Ohio economies have seen a trade war with China, retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, the collapse of oil prices, and mandatory business closings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These events contributed to the already ongoing cyclical repression, and impacted the wealth creation of Northeast Ohio’s (NEO)3 …

The Nasa Glenn Research Center: An Economic Impact Study Fiscal Year 2019, Iryna V. Lendel, Jinhee Yun, Courtney Whitman

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The NASA Glenn Research Center creates the benefits within the regional economy by engaging contractors from Northeast Ohio and Ohio, paying high wages to their employees who spent most of their income locally, and collaborating with local higher education institutions providing them with research grants and contracts. This study uses a multi-regional input-output (I-O) model to estimate the effect of NASA Glenn Research Center’s spending on the economies of Northeast Ohio (NEO) and Ohio. This model measures economic impact in terms of growth in output (sales), value added (output less intermediary goods), number of new and supported jobs, labor income, …

From Economic Slowdown To Recession, Iryna Demko, Iryna V. Lendel, Merissa Piazza

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The most recent recession, known as the “Great Recession,” began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009. The recession affected the entire U.S., but its impacts were not uniform. Unfortunately, Ohio was a primary example of the recession’s iniquities as the recession lasted five months longer here compared to the rest of the nation. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we face further uncertainty and another recession with economic activity contracting “sharply and abruptly” across the entire U.S. This research brief examines the state of the economy in the U.S. and Northeast Ohio pre-pandemic (2019) and provides an analysis of …

The Role Of Public Transportation In Youngstown, Iryna V. Lendel, Iryna Demko, Obed Pasha, Georgina Figueroa

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The Center analyzed the relationship between public transit availability and employment in the entry-level job hubs. Using a Poisson model for the Youngstown origin-destination matrix, we found that a 10-minute decrease in rush-hour travel times by public transit is expected to increase employment by almost 7%. This means that 224 more residents of each low-income census tract will have access to the entry-level job hubs in Youngstown. As transit agencies are experiencing major disruptions to normal operating procedures because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our findings show that without access to public transportation many people lose prospective employment.

Good Jobs: Employment And Wages In Groups Of Regional Industrial Drivers, Iryna Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Iryna Demko, Matthew Ellerbrock, Emily Forsee

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Talent attraction and workforce development are urgent topics in Northeast Ohio, as many companies are finding it challenging to locate and attract necessary workers for open jobs. This dilemma spans across sectors: from the manufacturing industry finding appropriately skilled labor to professional services finding experienced IT staff. This research analyzes employment dynamics among Northeast Ohio (NEO) industries, so policymakers and economic development practitioners can utilize our findings and design programs to improve the economic conditions in the region. This report builds on The Center for Economic Development’s prior work, which identified NEO’s Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs). These sectors …

The State Of Rural Northeast Ohio, Iryna Demko, Samuel Owusu-Agyemang

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This research brief focuses on industries in eight rural NEO counties: Ashland, Ashtabula, Columbiana, Erie, Huron, Richland, Tuscarawas, and Wayne. These counted produced $30 billion of output and employed 300,000 people in 2018. Output growth in rural NEO counties has outperformed urban NEO and Ohio – much of this growth can be attributed to the Utica Shale development. Tuscarawas county surpassed output growth in all other counties in NEO.

Oil And Gas As A Driver Of The Regional Economy: Updates, Iryna Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The economic trends in Northeast Ohio (NEO) over the last 20 years are typical of the Midwest region, with a positive increase in output outpaced by the state of Ohio, and the United States. The double recessions of 2001 and 2007-2009 show a deeper output decline in NEO than in comparable Midwest regions and the United States. Traditionally, industries with high regional specialization that have a competitive advantage and drive regional economies are called economic base industries. Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs) are part of the economic base of a region. The Oil & Gas GRID accounts for less …

Examining Inclusive Growth: Minority-Owned Firms In The Cleveland-Elyria Msa Brief, Iryna Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report provides insight on minority business ownership in the 5-county Cleveland-Elyria Metropolitan Statistical Area (Cleveland MSA) using data from the 2007 and 2012 U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Business Owners. Minority-owned businesses in the Cleveland MSA represented 20% of all firms in 2012. The majority of these firms, 71%, were owned by African American entrepreneurs (24,618), while 14% (4,959 firms) were Asian-owned. Overall, Asian firms have higher combined sales than African American firms ($1.9 billion versus $972 million); resulting in higher sales per firm. Targeted public policies assisting in revenue generation in the African American business community can increase …

2019 Cuyahoga County Economic Development Plan: Indicators And Projections Brief, Iryna Lendel, Iryna Demko, Matthew B. Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Center For Economic Development Welcomes The White House Opportunity And Revitalization Council And U.S. Eda, Iryna Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Matthew B. Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

The Future Is Now: Akron’S Dynamic And Inclusive Economy, Iryna Lendel, Iryna Demko, Merissa Piazza, Matthew Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

• The economic trends in Northeast Ohio (NEO) over the last 20 years are typical of the Midwest region, with a positive increase in output outpaced by the state of Ohio, and the United States
  
  
• The double recessions of 2001 and 2007-2009 show a deeper output decline in NEO than in comparable Midwest regions and the United States
  
  
• Traditionally, industries with high regional specialization that have a competitive advantage and drive regional economies are called economic base industries
  
  
• Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs) are part of the economic base of a region 2

The Nasa Glenn Research Center: An Economic Impact Study Fiscal Year 2018, Iryna Lendel, Jinhee Yun

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Economic impact estimates the benefits within the regional economy generated by an economic activity of an entity for an affected region. This study uses an input-output (I-O) model to estimate the effect of NASA Glenn Research Center’s spending on the economies of Northeast Ohio (NEO) and Ohio. This model measures economic impact in terms of growth in output (sales), value added (output less intermediary goods), number of new and supported jobs, labor income, and tax revenues.

This year’s study uses the same methodology to measure NASA Glenn’s impact on the economies of Northeast Ohio and Ohio as was used for …

Disruptive Growth Through Co-Working Industry: Economic Impact Of Potential Real Estate Market Intervention In Cleveland, Iryna Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Iryna Demko, Nick Zingale

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report reviews the current state of the co-working industry and its potential for growth according to current supply-demand relationships as it relates to larger economic movements and to the regional market for Cleveland, Ohio, and the surrounding area. The report analyzes factors that influence co-working growth and uptake and projects the likely state of the industry in coming years. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the nature and scope of co-working supply and demand and develops a typology that can identify benefits and approaches for distinct types of co-workers and co-working stakeholders.

Local Front Runners: Grids In The 4 Northeast Ohio Metropolitan Areas, Merissa Piazza, Iryna Demko, Iryna Lendel, Matthew B. Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Northeast Ohio (NEO) is an 18-county region which encompasses four different Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs); MSAs commonly refer to the labor market of a given area (for this study: the Akron MSA, the Canton-Massillon MSA, the Cleveland-Elyria MSA, a part of the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA MSA) and remaining rural counties (“non-MSA counties”). Within NEO, these four distinct metro areas have different industry structures. Investigating the internal dynamics of each region’s economic driver industries—what we call Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs)—can inform local leaders and economic development practitioners of expanding and emerging industries to foster regional growth.

Economic trends in NEO …

Northeast Ohio Front Runners: Groups Of Regional Industry Drivers (Grids), Iryna Lendel, Iryna Demko, Merissa Piazza, Matthew Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

• The economic trends in Northeast Ohio (NEO) over the last 20 years are typical of the Midwest region, with a positive increase in output outpaced by the state of Ohio, and the United States

• The double recessions of 2001 and 2007-2009 show a deeper output decline in NEO than in comparable Midwest regions and the United States

• Traditionally, industries with high regional specialization that have a competitive advantage and drive regional economies are called economic base industries

• Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs) are part of the economic base of a region

Northeast Ohio Grids Monitor, Merissa Piazza

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs) were identified in Northeast Ohio (NEO). GRIDs are wealth-creating industries that have a strong regional specialization, growing output, rising productivity, and local competitive advantage. Overall, the three identified GRIDs—Professional Services, Growing Legacy Manufacturing, and Oil and Gas—contributed nearly 40% ($90.4 billion) to NEO’s total output and employed 20% (369,054 people) of NEO workforce in 2018. This research provides an update on the performance of GRIDs economy focusing on 2017-18 changes and projections for 2019. Calculations in this monitor are based on the data from Moody's Analytics Economy.com.