Main Image

| Xiaobing Shuai , Greg Chmura

Introducing Chmura’s Economic Impact Model

Chmura’s economic impact model is an integral component of its proprietary JobsEQ technology platform. It gives practitioners in economic development, workforce development, education, and other areas a tool to evaluate the economic impact of a potential project such as a business expansion or relocation. It allows for a seamless transition from JobsEQ’s industry and occupation data to economic impact analysis, thus ensuring data integrity and consistency.

Main Image

| Greg Chmura

Site Selection: Cost-of-Living or Payroll Analysis?

Although cost-of-living is important in estimating expenses for potential new locations for a firm expansion, and though cost-of-living is generally related with payroll costs, it is not a safe substitute for a full payroll analysis.

Main Image

| Patrick Clapp

Carve Your Pumpkin With Labor Market Data

What can a jack-o’-lantern tell you about your state’s labor market? Chernoff faces are designed to display multiple variables as facial expressions, but in honor of Halloween we’ve created Chernoff jack-o’-lanterns.

Main Image

| Doug Rice

Shorter Certifications on the Rise

For programs less than two years in length, more students have been opting for awards that take less than a year to complete. The NCES tracks two levels of awards lower than an associate’s degree: (1) certificates less than one year and (2) certificates more than one year but less than two years. From 2012 to 2016,[1] completions[2] for certificates between one and two years in length declined 12.6% while completions for certificates less than one year in length expanded 4.9%.

Main Image

| Alex Doherty

Sweet Halloween Savings

As Halloween approaches, U.S. consumers are seeing some savings as they purchase candy for October 31st. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the changing cost of goods and services over time. While the CPI for all goods is commonly known as a measure of inflation, we can use subsets of CPI data to track the price changes of specific goods, such as candy and chewing gum. The price of candy this time of year is the lowest it’s been since 2014. If consumers spend the same amount on candy as the past two years, this may translate to more sweets for trick-or-treaters!