OBJECTIVES

Objectives are more specific than goals, clearly measurable, and provide milestone parameters against which the region’s progress in attaining its economic goals can be evaluated. The following are the region’s fifteen economic development objectives:

1. Achieve per capita income levels exceeding state and national levels.

2. Achieve poverty rate levels less than state and national levels.

3. Achieve and sustain income transfer payment rates that are less than state and national levels.

4. Achieve unemployment rates less than state and national levels.

5. Reduce the level of underemployment and part time employment to levels that are less than state and national levels.

6. Reduce population outmigration to levels less than state levels and stabilize and augment regional population levels.

7. Increase the percentage of the region’s population that is represented by the 18-to-64 age demographic to levels exceeding state and national levels.

8. Achieve and sustain secondary and post-secondary (associates, bachelors, and graduate) education levels in excess of state and national levels.

9. Increase the average high-tech employment share to levels equal to or exceeding state and national averages.

10. Increase the technology-based knowledge occupations as a share of total employment to levels equal to or exceeding state and national averages.

11. Increase the utilization of venture capital investment in the region to state levels.

12. Increase broadband density and penetration levels to levels equal to or exceeding state and national averages.

13. Increase establishment churn rates to a level that exceeds state and national rates as a means to diversification as insurance against closures and dislocations of large employers.

14. Increase gross domestic product (GDP) per worker in the region to levels equal to or exceeding state and national averages.

15. Avoid disruptions (plant closures, plant downsizings, production hiatuses, etc.) and reduce severity and duration of disruptions post-incident.